UC-NRLF 


SB    57    33fl 


LEVERETT    BRADLEY 

A    SOLDIER-BOY'S    LETTERS,    1862-1865 
A  MAN'S  WORK  IN  THE  MINISTRY 


THE   PRIESTHOOD: 
A  SERMON  BY  PHILLIPS  BROOKS 


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,   £.          2-  9  /  ^ 


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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


f  *»•* 


[Commissioned  1st  Lieutenant  July  31,  1865, 
when  19  years  of  age] 


LEVERETT     BRADLEY 

A   SOLDIER-BOY'S   LETTERS,   1862-1865 
A  MAN'S  WORK  IN  THE  MINISTRY 

EDITED    BY 

SUSAN    HINCKLEY    BRADLEY 

ft 


THE   PRIESTHOOD: 
A  SERMON  BY  PHILLIPS  BROOKS 


BOSTON,  MASS. 

PRIVATELY    PRINTED 

MCM  V 


Done  at 
The  Everett  Press 


.  .  .  "happy  is  he  who  finds 
A  law  in  which  his  spirit  is  left  free. ' ' 


THIS  VOLUME  is  DEDICATED  TO 
OUR  CHILDREN 


INTRODUCTION 

L EVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR.,  son  of  Captain  Leverett  Bradley  and 
Catherine  Frye,  was  born  in  Methuen,  Massachusetts,  July  11, 1846, 
on  the  ancestral  farm,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Merrimac.   The 
house  in  which  he  was  born  was  begun  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  but  not 
finished,  as  is  shown  by  the  effect  of  the  weather  on  the  frame  of  hewn  oak 
timbers,  which  were  exposed  during  the  years  that  the  men  were  absent 
fighting  for  independence.    In  those  days  it  must  have  been  an  imposing 
building,  for  in  Leverett's  boyhood  it  was  a  landmark  for  miles  around. 

The  family,  on  his  father's  side,  living  at  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  was 
conspicuous  in  the  early  struggle  of  the  colony  and  took  an  active  part  in  all 
the  movements  for  its  defence.  His  great-grandfather,  Enoch  Bradley,  was 
an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War;  his  grandfather,  Brickett  Bradley,  was 
.a  captain  of  dragoons  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  lat- 
ter was  born  and  lived  in  the  old  Bradley  homestead,  where  he  is  remem- 
bered for  his  energy,  good  cheer,  and  hospitality,  as  being  a  good  friend  and 
wise  adviser. 

The  first  son  of  Brickett  Bradley  and  Hannah  Merrill  was  named  Lev- 
erett, after  a  friend,  Leverett  Saltonstall  of  Haverhill.  When  he  was  twenty- 
one  his  father  gave  him  the  farm  and  house  which  he  had  bought  from  the 
Fryes,  and  when  he  married  Catherine  C.  Frye  he  brought  her  to  the  house 
built  by  her  own  grandfather.  Leverett  Bradley  was  known  for  his  tenacity 
and  clear-cut  expression  of  thought  and  purpose.  He  could  plan ;  he  loved 
the  excitement  of  big  enterprises  but  was  impatient  of  details,  and  here  was 
perhaps  the  secret  of  his  never  making  more  than  a  comfortable  living.  He 
was  free  from  all  suspiciousness,  and  he  did  not  reap  the  benefits  of  the  plans 
he  set  in  motion.  When  he  was  occupied  with  mechanical  work,  however, 
his  accuracy  was  proverbial.  He  reclaimed  and  "  made"  the  most  valuable 
parts  of  the  farm.  His  was  a  restless,  progressive  temperament,  which  re- 
belled at  delay,  and,  always  an  optimist,  he  carried  projects  to  a  conclusion 
that  would  have  staggered  more  conservative  minds.  He  was  very  pure- 
minded,  had  a  fine  erect  figure,  and  cleanness  of  speech.  His  love  of  music 
was  one  of  his  keenest  pleasures,  and  he  had  a  sweet  tenor  voice.  As  cap- 
tain in  the  old  Sixth  Massachusetts  Militia,  Mr.  Bradley's  clear  head  and 
executive  ability  were  recognized  by  his  townspeople.  When  the  Pemberton 
Mill  in  Lawrence  fell  he  was  at  once  chosen  to  take  command  and  organize 
the  volunteers  to  rescue  the  victims.  His  measures  were  at  first  thought 
severe,  but  in  the  light  of  further  developments  were  recognized  as  far-sighted 
and  wise.  He  had  a  strong  constitution,  was  a  bundle  of  nerves  as  far  as 
work  was  concerned,  and  knew  nothing  of  rest;  but  when  finally  forced  to 


yield  to  pain,  he  bore  his  sufferings  with  fortitude  till  death  relieved  him, 
when  he  was  sixty-six  years  old. 

On  his  mother's  side  Leverett,  Jr.,  also  had  the  traditions  of  patriotism, 
his  great-great-grandfather,  Col.  James  Frye,*  having  commanded  a  regi- 
"ment  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  His  grandfather,  Jeremiah  Frye,  owned 
many  acres  of  farm-land  and  sold  large  tracts,  among  them  part  of  the  site 
of  the  present  city  of  Lawrence. 

Leverett  remembered  best  his  grandmother,  Mrs.  Jeremiah  Frye,  who 
was  noted  far  and  wide  for  her  sweet  and  alert  brightness,  which  spoke  from 
her  eyes.  All  felt  the  refinement  of  speech,  accuracy  of  pronunciation,  gra- 
cious courtesy  of  manner,  of  this  rare  old  gentlewoman.  With  these  was 
blended  a  charming  wisdom,  which  expressed  itself  in  fascinating  epigrams 
quoted  long  years  afterwards.  She  was  the  mother  of  a  large  family,  and  a 
busy  worker.  The  home  stood  in  the  cross-roads  opposite  the  old  church  in 
which  gathered  weekly  the  large  congregations  of  Methuen.  In  the  long 
noons  of  the  hot  summers  and  in  the  cold  winters  Mrs.  Frye's  big-hearted 
hospitality  welcomed  the  fathers,  the  mothers,  the  young  men  and  maidens, 
of  the  town.  Her  wisdom  was  not  acquired  from  book-learning;  she  studied 
life  at  first  hand  and  understood  the  human  heart.  Young  men  admired  and 
respected  her;  her  children  adored  her;  while  in  her  grandsons  she  inspired 
a  beautiful,  chivalrous  devotion. 

Catherine,  Leverett 's  mother,  was  Mrs.  Frye's  second  daughter,  and  was 
bonnie  and  strong.  Her  strength  and  sunny,  cheerful  patience  enabled  her 
to  accomplish  an  amount  of  work  which  would  stagger  the  young  mother  of 
to-day.  She  never  lost  her  gentleness  and  refinement  and  beautiful  hospital- 
ity through  long  years  of  hard  work  in  circumstances  which  required  close 
economy.  She  took  the  personal  care  of  her  five  children,  besides  the 
management  of  the  entire  household,  which  at  times  numbered  from  ten  to 
twelve  "hired  men"  that  Mr.  Bradley  had  engaged  in  his  extensive  im- 
provements on  the  farm.  At  one  time  she  baked  a  barrel  of  flour  a  week. 
She  invariably  met  all  the  trials  of  her  life  with  placid  cheerfulness  and 
never  seemed  to  worry  about  possible  ills ;  but  in  looking  forward  there  was 
always  before  her  mental  vision  a  picture  of  physical  danger  and  of  privation 
for  those  she  loved.  This  she  often  expressed,  though  ready  at  the  first  word 
to  smile  over  her  own  apprehensions.  She  was  the  sunniest  of  pessimists. 
In  later  years  she  was  often  congratulated  on  the  fine  characters  of  all  her 
children,  and  told  that  it  was  unusual  to  have  no  bad  boys  out  of  four.  She 
invariably  replied  that  she  had  never  had  a  moment's  anxiety  in  that  re- 
spect ;  that  they  none  of  them  had  ever  given  her  the  slightest  cause  to  do 
so;  and  then,  fearing  she  had  not  been  modest  enough,  she  would  add  with 
a  light  heart,  "There's  time  yet." 

Leverett  revered  his  mother  more  and  more  as  the  years  went  by,  and 

*  ColonelJames  Frye  was  born  January  24,  1711,  in  Andover,  Massachusetts.  He 
died  January  8,  1776,  from  the  effects  of  a  wound  received  during  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill.  He  lived  in  Andover,  and  was  colonel  of  the  Fourth  Essex  Regiment,  of  which  he 
was  in  command  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

[6] 


marvelled  at  her  courage  and  vigor.  She  lived  to  be  eighty-four,  and  when 
leisure  came  in  her  latter  years  she  would  sit  reading,  or  embroidering  and 
knitting,  turning  out  good  work,  as  she  always  had. 

But  no  picture  of  the  home  and  of  Mrs.  Bradley  is  complete  without  Liz- 
zie, her  oldest  child  and  precious  right  hand.  She  entered  into  and  shared 
her  mother's  life  in  all  its  details.  From  the  time  she  was  three  years  old 
she  was  a  caretaker  of  the  boys.  She  had  so  large  an  influence  in  forming 
Leverett's  character  that  I  quote,  from  an  intimate  cousin  in  the  family,  the 
following  description: 

"  I  have  never  known  a  more  symetrically  developed  character,  one  who 
exemplified  in  hourly  living  the  principles  which  governed  Jesus  Christ,  or 
one  that  made  you  feel  so  absolutely  that  to  her  own  consciousness  she  em- 
phasized all  the  good  in  you  and  dropped  the  bad  out  of  sight.  Yet  she 
never  gave  the  impression  that  she  condoned  evil,  never!  She  rarely  offered 
advice,  though  her  advice  was  often  sought,  and  in  any  real  moral  difficulty 
she  almost  always  advised  the  course  it  was  hard  to  pursue ;  but  she  seemed 
to  give  the  strength  to  follow  the  best  way.  Her  sympathy,  insight,  and 
discretion  were  wonderful.  You  never  knew  whether  it  was  head  or  heart 
that  spoke.  Her  definite  intention  seemed  to  control  her  as  well  as  her 
emotions.  She  once  told  me  that  she  had  trained  herself  not  to  see.  '  I  used 
to  be  able  to  tell  everything  in  a  room  after  entering  it;  and  in  meeting  a 
person  I  knew  every  detail  of  the  dress  worn.'  Her  love  of  the  beautiful 
in  nature  was  a  passion,  her  appreciation  of  tasteful  appointments  was 
deep  and  refined,  yet  she  never  appeared  to  mind  that  she  must  herself 
forego  the  fine  things  she  enjoyed.  She  was  truly  generous ;  she  would  have 
loved  to  give,  but  I  never  heard  her  deplore  her  inability  to  make  gifts; 
indeed,  she  taught  us  that  we  need  not  have  money  or  gear  in  order  to  give 
and  to  serve.  She  never  failed  one  in  trouble;  she  nursed  the  sick,  com- 
forted the  sorrowing,  and  strengthened  the  weak  outside  the  home;  but  it 
was  in  the  home  that  she  shone.  Here  she  and  Aunt  Katie  worked  to- 
gether. 'Bradley  Farm'  was  loved  by  the  relatives  and  friends  far  and 
near.  Those  who  knocked  at  the  door  were  made  welcome  with  perfect 
hospitality,  however  unseasonable  and  inconvenient  the  call,  however  busy 
with  pressing  care  their  hands  might  be.  Being  on  the  road  from  Haver- 
hill  to  Lawrence,  it  was  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  to  have  a  party 
drive  up  just  as  the  family  were  rising  from  the  dinner-table,  the  supply 
of  provisions  practically  exhausted ;  but  the  welcome  was  so  hearty  that  the 
inopportune  arrivals  had  not  a  question  about  the  lunch  of  delicious  bread 
and  butter,  omelet,  etc.,  that  was  hastily  prepared  and  served,  Lizzie  en- 
livening all  with  her  fun  and  dry  way  of  saying  things. 

"  Lizzie's  friends  passed  their  happiest  days  at  the  farm ;  each  was  left 
to  do  just  as  she  pleased,  but  was  never  left  to  feel  neglected.  The  boys 
would  rather  go  home  than  anywhere  else  for  their  good  times.  And  Lizzie 
kept  their  development  and  training  in  the  little  courtesies  of  life  in  mind. 
When  they  were  absent  she  would  go  into  the  pasture,  catch  the  horse,  har- 


ness  it,  and  drive  into  the  city  to  do  her  father's  errands;  but  were  one  of 
her  brothers  there  he  must  fold  her  shawl  about  her,  assist  her  to  mount 
into  the  wagon  or  carriage;  'For,'  she  said,  'if  they  always  have  to  wait 
on  mother  and  me  they  will  not  forget  to  do  these  things  when  they  have 
wives.'  She  was  tireless  in  her  love  and  devotion  to  her  own,  and  when 
she  passed  out  from  the  dear  old  home  her  going  left  a  sorrow  which  graved 
indelible  lines  in  the  faces  of  those  whom  she  left  to  prize  her  sweet,  noble 
example  and  love  her  precious  memory." 

The  oldest  son  was  George,  who  took  care  of  the  home  during  the  war 
and  still  lives  on  part  of  the  old  farm.  Leverett  was  the  second  son,  and  was 
two  years  younger  than  George  and  two  years  older  than  his  brother  Jerry 
Payson,  who  survives  him,  as  does  his  youngest  brother,  Frank. 

Like  most  country  lads,  Leverett 's  early  boyhood  was  passed  in  going  to 
the  district  school  during  the  short  sessions  and  working  on  the  farm  during 
vacations.  This  continued  until  he  was  about  ten  years  of  age,  when  he  en- 
tered the  graded  schools  in  the  city  of  Lawrence,  Massachusetts.  He  was 
always  of  a  literary  turn  of  mind,  and  even  in  his  younger  days  stood  well  at 
the  head  of  his  class.  It  is  remembered  that  he  did  not  like  the  ordinary 
drudgery  of  farm  work ;  but  when  anything  definite  had  to  be  done  he  put 
in  as  hard  work  as  a  boy  could. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  for  the  Union  he  was  a  member  of  the 
High  School  in  Lawrence  and  belonged  to  a  military  company  of  boys  which 
had  been  formed  for  the  purposes  of  drill.  On  the  return  of  the  two 
Lawrence  companies  of  the  Sixth  Massachusetts  from  their  march  through 
Baltimore,  these  boys  turned  out  for  the  first  time  in  uniform  and  under 
arms. 

When  President  Lincoln  issued  a  call  for  the  first  three-years  troops 
Methuen  immediately  recruited,  under  command  of  Leverett 's  father,  Cap- 
tain Bradley,  a  full  company,  known  as  Company  B,  which  was  attached  to 
the  Fourteenth  Regiment  of  Infantry  rendezvousing  at  Fort  Warren,  in  Bos- 
ton Harbor,  July  5,  1861.  Captain  Bradley  thought  it  wise  to  take  Leverett 
to  wait  on  him,  expecting  then  to  be  gone  only  ninety  days.  At  that  time 
Leverett  was  only  fourteen,  his  fifteenth  birthday  being  July  11.  He  at- 
tached himself  to  the  company,  acting  as  clerk. 

The  company  left  for  the  front  in  August,  1861,  and  on  September  14  of 
the  same  year  Leverett  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  B  of  the  regiment 
for  three  years,  or  during  the  war.  He  continued  to  act  as  company  clerk. 
His  younger  brother  Jerry  enlisted  as  drummer-boy  November  8. 

During  the  remainder  of  1861  the  regiment  was  stationed  in  the  forts 
around  Washington,  building  and  manning  a  line  of  works  from  Chain 
Bridge,  opposite  Georgetown,  to  Long  Bridge,  the  lower  end  of  Washing- 
ton, and  received  the  designation  of  the  Fourteenth  Massachusetts  Heavy 
Artillery.  In  1862,  by  orders  from  the  War  Department,  the  regiment  was 
called  the  First  Massachusetts  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was  known  by  that 
name  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

[8] 


A  SOLDIER-BOY'S  LETTERS 

1862-1865 


HEADQUARTERS  HEAVY  ARTILLERY, 

14TH  MASS.  REGT.,  Co.  B. 
FORT  ALBANY,  March  5,  1862. 
Dear  Mother  and  Brothers: 

We  fired  a  National  Salute  here  yesterday  in  honor  of  the  first  anniver- 
sary of  Lincoln's  inauguration.  It  happened  to  be  my  detatchment  that  fired 
it,  so  I  can  say  I  have  helped  fire  a  cannon  6  P.dr.  brass.  20  guns  were  fired, 
then  we  limbered  up  and  run  into  the  Fort. 

Well,  how  do  you  get  along  with  the  Geese  ?  Jerry  told  me  you  were  not 
going  to  keep  any  this  year,  but  I  am  glad  you  are.  Write  me  which  ones  you 
keep  and  ducks  and  hens,  because  I  am  a  little  anxious  to  know  how  things 
go  long  about  the  Bradley  Farm. 

We  had  a  lively  time  here  the  other  day.  I  was  making  out  pay-rolls, 
but  when  the  order  came  to  fall  in,  I  seized  my  old  comrade  [gun]  and  went 
down.  We  formed  in  line  and  the  adjutant  read  the  orders  from  McClellan 
to  Division  Generals ;  it  was  to  be  ready  to  march,  how  much  we  could  carry 
and  to  keep  2  days  Rations  ahead,  in  case  of  emergency.  We  have  had  sev- 
eral other  orders  since  which  indicate  a  forward  movement.  I  hope  we 
shall  go,  fighting  or  not. 

Had  a  letter  from  Hull  to-night.  I  have  been  making  out  papers  to  en- 
able him  to  draw  his  pay  in  Massachusetts. 

The  Capt.  has  had  a  cold  and  does  not  feel  very  well.  I  have  written  a 
good  long  letter  and  I  don't  believe  he  will.  Jerry  is  well  and  on  guard  as 
drummer.  By  our  latest  news  we  have  possession  of  Columbus,  that  great 
place  of  the  Rebels.  I  think  our  army  of  Kentucky  has  done  the  most  so  far. 

The  Chaplin  has  got  his  wife  out  here  and  a  Lieu't  had  his  come  to-night. 
We  shall  soon  have  a  village. 

We  have  men  from  Washington  to  work  on  the  Fort,  as  the  frost  has 
caused  the  Ramparts  to  slide  off  into  the  ditch.  We  hear  considerable  said 
about  going  home;  some  say  in  a  month,  others  a  year  and  some  three  years. 
Don't  make  much  difference  to  me. 

As  I  know  of  nothing  else  to  write,  I  will  close. 
Signed,  Sealed  in  presence  of 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

George,  you  may  give  my  respects  to  the  Gals  and  Boys  about  Pleasant 
Valley. 


FORT  ALBANY,  VA.,  March  17,  1862. 
To  the  family  in  general: 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac  has  moved  and  left  us  in  the  dark ;  there  are 
not  100  men  in  the  Regt.  but  what  would  like  to  go  ahead. 

McDowell's  Division,  which  we  once  belonged  to  and  then  were  put  out 
of,  and  then  into  it  again,  and  then  off,  is  going  to  reinforce  Burnside's.  The 
Nelly  Baker  and  Nantasket  are  down  in  the  stream,  with  some  20  others,  to 
take  troops  to  some  place.  What  do  you  think  of  our  defeat  at  Manassas  ? 
We  were  not  whipped,  but  we  did  not  get  a  chance  to  fight. 

The  talk  is  that  McClellan  will  be  supersceded.  I  don't  know  it  as  a 
fact,  but  it  is  rumor. 

We  are  about  played  out  writing  out  here.  Like  to  get  letters  well  enough 
but  don't  like  to  answer. 

Here  I  shall  close.  L-BRAD — JR 

P.  S.     Pleaseexcusethewritingwellyouknowitisbaddon  'tyou wellwhatdo 
you  thinkof Manassas —  Leverettbradley  j  r 


FORT  ALBANY,  VA.,  Mch.  23,  1862. 
Dear  Mother,  Sister  and  Brothers: 

We  received  a  letter  from  home  last  night,  and  were  glad  you  had  sent 
your  pictures.  But  I  do  not  think  that  Mother's  does  her  justice.  She  looks 
too  thin  and  careworn;  if  so,  I  shall  think  it  was  on  account  of  our  leaving 
home,  and  the  care  falling  on  her  has  made  her  sick  or  unwell. 

Frank  has  changed,  it  being  8  months  since  I  have  seen  him,  but  he  looks 
as  if  he  would  like  to  see  us  through  his  little  eyes.  He  looks  fat  and  healthy. 

And  you  had  better  believe  we  do,  being  so  regular  at  our  meals,  and 
but  few  varieties  which  are  best  for  our  health. 

The  weather  has  been  rather  better  for  the  week  past.  Are  having  fine 
times  after  supper  in  games.  Foot  Ball,  Base  Ball,  Cards,  Checquers,  Danc- 
ing and  Singing. 

Miss  E.  P.  called  up  to  see  us  the  other  night  and  took  tea  with  us.  She 
said  that  she  was  determined  to  eat  a  meal  with  the  men  at  the  Barracks,  as 
that  was  what  she  came  out  for. 

The  two  companies  to  join  the  Regt.  arrived  here  yesterday. 

Caleb  Saunders  is  a  Lieu't  in  one. 

After  religious  services  this  forenoon  the  Col.  was  telling  us  about  the 
reputation  this  Regiment  has  here,  among  the  Big  officers. 

About  fifty  thousand  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  have  left,  they  think 
to  reinforce  Burnside,  and  he  is  going  to  march  on  Richmond. 

A  Regiment  of  Cavalry  passed  by  here  to-day ;  they  looked  finely.  Send 
out  my  book-keeping  by  that  boy. 

I  have  got  a  little  cold  and  do  not  feel  well  enough  to  pick  on  the  Old 
Banjo. 

[10] 


The  Capt.  has  gone  up  to  see  Capt.  Wardwell  at  Fort  Craig,  about  a 
mile  from  here. 

I  will  close,  perhaps  to  write  a  little  to-morrow  morn. 

Yours, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

FORT  BARNARD,  VA.,  April  2,  1862. 
Dear  Mother,  Sister  and  Brothers: 

You  will  see  by  this  heading  that  we  are  still  in  Old  Virginia. 

The  four  companies  which  garrisoned  this  fort  left  this  morning,  and  the 
Regt.  Heavy  Arty,  like  this  one,  started  for  Alexandria,  to  go  down  the  river. 

They  left  an  immense  pile  of  rubbish,  bed-ticks,  beds,  stools,  boards, 
stoves.  I  should  judge  they  left  at  this  place  $150  worth  of  property.  I  am 
sitting  before  one  of  the  stoves ;  it  sends  the  heat  out  gay.  I  am  writing  on  a 
book  in  my  lap. 

Another  company  of  our  Regt.  came  up  to-day  to  help  garrison  the  place. 

I  will  give  you  a  little  idea  where  we  are.  We  are  three  miles  from  Fort 
Albany;  it  mounts  10  Heavy  guns.  The  Alexandria  Rail  Road  runs  about 
150  rds.  from  us  in  the  hollow;  it  is  considered  a  place  of  much  importance. 
The  boy  has  not  got  here  yet.  Give  my  respects  to  the  Boys  and  Gals  on 
Pleasant  Valley;  mark  you,  I  say  gals.  Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  have  not 
seen  one  but  Aunt  Betsy.  She  shed  a  tear  when  she  left,  for  Co.  B. 

Yours  truly, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

FORT  BARNARD,  Va.,  Apr.  13,  1862. 

There  are  few  military  movements  around  here.  A  regiment  now  and 
then  goes  up  the  road.  I  suppose  they  think  the  army  is  regulated  and  are 
now  ready  to  fight.  Mr.  Wilson  was  here  this  afternoon  and  gave  us  a  short 
discourse  on  strong  drink  and  profane  language.  At  dress  parade  he  gave 
each  man  a  tract.  He  is  out  here  to  take  the  money  of  the  men  home,  if  we 
ever  get  any.  Now  I  must  write  out  some  passes  and  fill  out  a  blank  for 
discharge.  Yours  truly, 

L.  B.,  JR. 

FORT  BARNARD,  VA.,  April  16,  1862. 
Dear  Mother: 

Have  just  finished  signing  the  pay-rolls ;  expect  to  get  paid  off  to-morrow, 
but  not  certain. 

I  am  very  tired,  but  the  captain  says  I  must  write  ten  lines. 

I  assure  you,  mother,  I  have  not  tasted  anything  which  I  have  said  I 
would  not  touch.  No  man  can  induce  me  to  take  whiskey,  brandy,  or  gin, 
or  anything  of  the  kind.  The  captain  had  a  present  of  some  native  wine 
which  I  have  taken,  but  nothing  stronger. 


They  have  got  a  temperance  society;  but  my  word,  if  I  give  it,  I  will 
stick  by. 

To  see  so  much  drunkeness  in  camp  is  enough  to  make  one  despise  the 
stuff  even  as  medicine. 

No  news  of  importance  from  this  quarter  of  the  globe. 

Good-night.  Yours  truly, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 


FORT  BARNARD,  VA.,  May  7,  1862. 
Dear  Friends: 

You  will  see  we  are  still  here  and  are  likely  to  be  till  the  end  of  the  war. 

You  have  got  as  much  news  as  we  have,  probably,  viz.,  Evacuation  of 
Yorktown  by  the  rebels  and  the  taking  of  it  by  our  forces.  We  had  a  large 
10  in.  Mortar  brought  here  last  night  to  practice  with.  We  are  going  to  fire 
Saturday.  We  have  also  one  30  Ibs.  rifled  parrott  gun  which  pointed  at  the 
enemy  on  Munson  Hill  last  year,  but  never  had  a  chance  to  pop  at  them. 
By  the  retreating  of  the  rebels  from  Yorktown  it  has  left  us  entirely  out  of 
danger;  they  were  before  some  75  miles  away,  but  now  125  miles,  so  you 
see  we  were  perfectly  safe.  Do  not  worry,  because  I  do  not  think  they  will 
trouble  us  at  present.  The  cars  are  passing  now  towards  Leesburg  from 
Alexandria;  they  have  not  run  much  lately. 

Well,  about  this  leaving  home  business.  If  you  want  to  go,  start,  and  we 
will  follow  (California  or  Mexico).  We  have  got  plenty  of  dogs  and  I  am 
going  to  hunt  for  a  living.  Am  going  to  get  a  horse,  rifle  and  gun,  pack  up 
dogs  and  start,  and  I  "reckon"  you  had  better  all  do  the  same. 

There  is  one  lady  in  our  camp,  Capt.  Shatswell's  wife;  she  has  been  out 
since  last  winter — plucky.  Also  a  negro  woman  who  comes  with  milk  every 
morning.  Good-looking,  but  too  dark  complected  to  get  too  near  to. 

Yours, 

L.  B. 


FORT  BARNARD,  VA.,  May  14,  1862. 
Dear  Mother: 

We  have  had  great  news  for  the  week  past,  but  are  a  little  anxious  about 
Halleck ;  afraid  he  will  be  whipped  and  that  will  be  a  stunner.  Norfolk  has 
been  taken.  You  will  have  heard  of  it  before  this  reaches  you ;  however,  it 
is  good  news.  I  can  scarcely  hear  myself  think,  the  drums  are  beating  so 
like  the  old  Harry. 

Roll-call.     Bed-time. 

Tuesday  morning,  6  a.m. 

Just  answered  to  the  roll-call  and  now  can  write  a  line.  We  had  mortar 
firing  the  other  day.  The  shell  can  be  seen  in  the  air;  it  goes  to  an  immense 
height  and  then  comes  down  on  the  object  smash.  The  shell  weighs  91  Ibs. 


It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  a  fellow  had  got  to  die,  to  have  it  drive  him  in ; 
but  he  would  want  it  taken  off  afterwards,  because  it  would  make  a  fellow's 
head  ache.  Yours, 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 


FORT  BARNARD,  VA.,  July  2,  1862. 
Dear  Mother,  Sister  and  Brothers: 

It  is  a  cold  chilly  night  and  has  been  all  day,  for  this  date.  I  am  crowd- 
ing as  close  to  the  stove  as  I  can  sit,  in  order  to  keep  up  animal  heat  out- 
wardly. I  have  got  acquainted  with  a  farmer's  son  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  here.  The  Capt.  is  well  acquainted  with  the  man;  he  owns  a  large 
amount  of  property  around  here.  The  fort  is  built  on  his  ground.  They 
are  a  fine  family.  We  go  off  together  Sundays,  he  having  to  work  other  days. 
He  has  got  two  horses  under  his  care ;  was  cutting  hay  yesterday.  As  I  was 
going  to  say,  we  went  off  Sunday  and  visited  all  the  place ;  he  knows  all  about 
here  and  of  course  knows  the  girls.  I  ate  supper  with  them  the  other  night, 
so  you  see  I  am  all  hunk.  Going  to  get  acquainted  with  some  rich  young 
lady,  marry  and  settle  down.  I  suppose  you  think  I  am  going  to  work  rather 
early.  Well,  count  it  we  are  Soldiers.  Is  n't  it  a  great  thing  to  be  a  Soldier! 
We  don't  get  much  war  news;  expect  to  hear  soon  that  McClellan  is  in 
Richmond.  I  am  going  to  try  to  go  to  a  picnic  4th  of  July.  I  have  finished 
the  muster  rolls  which  I  have  to  make  out  every  two  months.  Here  I  must 
close,  or  at  least  try  to!  Love  to  all. 

Yours  truly, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

P.  S.  I  don't  think  much  of  this  letter,  but  could  not  think  of  anything 
to  write. 

[On  July  11  he  had  his  sixteenth  birthday. — ED.] 

FORT  BARNARD,  VA.,  July  17,  1862. 
Dear  Mother,  Sister  and  Brothers: 

It  is  quite  a  long  time  since  I  last  wrote.  Have  had  a  spell  of  sickness. 
I  had  a  fever,  then  the  shakes,  which  are  very  comfortable( !)  to  have  on  one. 
I  had  to  take  Quinine  for  the  first  time  and  the  taste  of  it  was  in  my  mouth 
two  days  after;  it  loosened  every  tooth  in  my  head.  War  news  not  very  ex- 
citing. A  string  of  over  two  hundred  teams  passed  up  by  here  day  before 
yesterday;  they  are  going  to  help  move  Pope's  army,  but  it  will  take  some 
time  to  find  it. 

It  has  been  hot;  sweat  runs  off  in  streams.  George  Frye  is  well.  Here 
I  will  close  and  give  the  Capt.  room  to  write. 

Yours, 

L.  B.,  JR. 

[13] 


FORT  BARNARD,  VA.,  Aug.  7,  1862. 
Dear  Mother: 

My  health  is  improving  rapidly,  but  still  they  say  I  look  like  a  ghost. 
Yesterday  there  was  a  large  review  (that  is,  for  round  here)  at  Fort  Ward. 
I  did  not  go  in  the  ranks,  but  Jere  came  along  from  Arlington  House,  so  I 
went  along  with  him.  It  was  terribly  hot ;  but  I  stood  it  as  well  as  the  ones 
who  are  full  of  health.  Reviewing  officers  were  Abraham  Lincoln,  Gen's. 
Whipple  and  Sturgis.  He  looked  as  if  he  had  a  great  deal  on  his  mind 
(A.  L.),  dressed  very  plain;  reminded  me  of  old  Scripture  look  in  his  face. 
Every  fort  fired  a  salute.  I  expected  to  see  Gen.  Hallek,  but  I  was  dissa- 
pointed,  because  I  went  almost  on  purpose  to  see  him.  He  was  not  present. 
How  does  that  order  for  the  draft  take  hold  of  the  men  north  ?  It  makes 
the  boys  feel  good  that  they  have  got  to  come.  The  general  health  of  the 
Regt.  is  good;  but  they  are  trying  to  kill  the  men,  drilling  in  the  hot  sun  six 
hours  a  day.  Mother  said  she  did  not  care  for  long  letters,  so  I  will  close. 
Love  to  all.  Yours  truly, 

L.  B.,  JR. 


[Written  with  a  pencil.] 

IN  CAMP  AT  CLOUD'S  MILLS,  VA.,  Aug.  23,  1862. 
Dear  Mother: 

Received  yours  to-night  all  right.  You  will  see  by  this  that  we  are  not 
at  Fort  Barnard  as  usual.  There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  maneuvering 
around  here  lately  about  where  to  move  and  it  has  finally  come  to  us;  we  have 
expected  it  for  some  time.  We  have  had  a  great  time  moving;  did  it  today, 
about  four  miles  from  former  place  and  on  the  R.R.  to  Mannassas.  Pope 
has  been  down  on  20  miles ;  and  reinforcements  are  going  out  by  thousands 
and  right  by  our  sides  some  orders  were  to  go  on;  but  on  account  of  am- 
munition we  had  to  encamp  here  for  tonight.  Don't  know  but  we  shall  go 
in  ten  minutes,  and  perhaps  not  till  morning.  Jere  and  myself  are  in  a  small 
tent  by  ourselves ;  we  are  experiencing  camp  life.  Had  no  dinner  and  noth- 
ing but  a  cup  of  coffee  for  supper  and  do  not  expect  anything  again  for  two 
days ;  we  can  not  get  hold  of  any  bread,  having  none  for  two  weeks  back.  It 
is  now  about  8.30  P.M.  Batteries  and  other  Regts.  going  with  us  are  on  the 
move  here  to  report.  Cavallery  also.  We  got  rifles  in  last  night  and  had  to 
go  3  miles  to  get  them.  I  have  a  nice  one.  I  slept  well,  you  better  believe, 
last  night;  wore  the  skin  off  my  hip  bone  laying  on  the  soft  side  of  a  plank 
(knotty);  got  a  softer  one  tonight  (the  ground).  Don't  be  scared,  for  it  is 
fun  for  us  and  will  try  to  stick  it  out  to  the  last.  We  may  be  100  miles  from 
here  tomorrow.  Write  as  usual,  and  if  we  get  it,  all  right,  and  if  not,  the 
same.  We  will  write  as  much  as  we  can  and  often ;  but  let  me  tell  you  again 
do  not  be  worried  because  it  does  no  good  and  makes  us  feel  bad. 

The  drummer  boy  is  well  and  looking  on  the  scene.    We  are  both  lying 

[14] 


on  the  ground.    Nothing  more  to  write;  do  not  know  if  this  will  reach  you. 
Capt  will  write  in  the  morning,  if  we  do  not  move  before. 
Don't  worry  about  us!  Yours  truly, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 


FORT  CORCORAN,  VA.,  Aug.  31,  1862. 
Dear  Mother: 

Rec'd  yours.  We  have  had  a  tramp  since  writing  last.  Our  orders  came 
last  Tuesday  night  to  report  to  Gen.  Sturgis  at  Warrenton;  took  up  the  line 
of  march  at  9  o'clock,  marched  seven  miles  that  night  and  halted  about  12 
o'clk.  to  rest  our  wearied  limbs  in  a  field.  Slept  well;  started  early  next 
morning  and  went  two  miles  and  halted  to  wash  up  and  eat.  While  there, 
a  report  came  that  the  2nd  New  York  (H.  A.)  in  our  brigade  was  all  cut  up, 
also  that  a  battery  had  been  taken  from  us.  We  then  started  on  a  forced 
march.  We  soon  met  the  supply  trains  coming  back  and  we  marched  by  a 
train  ten  miles  long,  1000  horses,  1500  cattle.  We  had  got  just  the  other 
side  of  Fairfax,  about  2  miles,  when  at  the  top  of  a  hill,  in  the  woods,  the 
remaining  two  pieces  of  the  battery  and  some  cavalry  came  rushing  by,  tell- 
ing us  the  enemy  were  coming  and  for  us  to  look  out  for  ourselves.  We 
jumped  for  the  woods  and  waited,  but  they  did  not  come;  we  then  formed 
in  line  of  battle  about  a  mile  long  in  the  woods  and  waited.  Co.  B.  was 
moved  to  the  right,  the  hardest  position,  and  a  squad  of  men  taken  way  out 
into  the  woods  to  look  out  for  our  flank,  myself  with  them;  this  was  the 
dangerous  post,  guarding  a  road  they  would  pass  in  coming  on  us.  This 
happened  at  2  o'clk.  We  waited  for  them,  but  they  did  not  come.  The  next 
morning,  soon  after  getting  up,  we  heard  three  shots.  We  jumped  (our  little 
squad)  and  concealed  ourselves  and  waited ;  but  it  proved  to  be  our  pickets 
firing  at  each  other.  One  of  Co.  A  got  shot  through  both  legs;  not  hurt 
much.  Soon  after  the  Dr.  and  asst.  Surgeon,  steward  and  five  others,  with 
2  teams  and  an  ambulance,  went  back  to  Fairfax  to  make  a  hospital ;  while 
there,  500  Cavalry  rushed  on  them  and  took  all  prisoners,  but  released  the 
Drs.  and  kept  the  rest  and  teams  and  8  horses,  so  you  see  the  enemy  had 
got  behind  us  and  we  were  in  a  fix.  It  was  Lee  of  the  cavalry  and  he  sent  a 
note  to  Col.  Greene  and  to  Gen.  Sturgis;  he  was  in  the  class  of  the  Col. 
The  Col.  knew  that  it  was  not  best  for  us  to  stop  long,  but  to  retreat  back 
to  Cloud's  Mills.  We  had  considerable  to  look  after,  our  teams  and  stores; 
we  got  ready  to  go,  when  we  were  sent  back  to  old  place  again.  Things 
looked  rather  dubious ;  soon  we  heard  the  roll.  We  all  jumped  to  our  guns 
ready  for  them ;  the  picket  came  in  and  said  that  cavalry  were  coming.  Of 
course  we  expected  Rebel.  I  expected  to  get  shot ;  hid  myself  in  the  bushes 
and  waited,  but  they  proved  to  be  some  cavalry  come  out  to  reinforce  us, 
so  we  were  all  right;  we  sent  them  out  scouting.  They  were  gone  an  hour; 
they  reported  some  5000  rebels  four  miles  from  us,  so  we  started  as  soon  as 
possible.  First  went  cavalry,  next  a  battalion  of  our  Regt.,  then  all  our  wag- 

[15] 


ons  and  2  cannon,  next  two  Battalions  of  our  Regt.,  A.  C's.  rear  guard  and 
some  cavalry  behind.  We  saw  about  50  of  them  on  the  edge  of  the  woods 
when  we  started,  but  they  did  not  molest  us ;  we  kept  up  marching  18  miles 
from  7  o'clk.  till  12  at  night,  resting  only  3  times.  They  followed  us  until 
we  came  within  4  miles  of  Cloud's  Mills.  Soon  after,  Col.  Greene  was  or- 
dered to  report  to  McClellan,  who  ordered  us  into  these  forts.  The  re- 
port now  is,  that  Jackson  has  surrendered;  there  was  heavy  fighting  off 
there  yesterday;  heard  the  cannon  plainly.  All  well.  Love  to  all. 

L.  B.,  JR. 

We  shall  probably  stay  here  now  and  not  be  moved  off,  because  some 
one  wants  us !  We  are  nearer  Washington  but  farther  up,  opposite  George- 
town. Very  fine  view. 

FORT  CRAIG,  VA.,  Sept.  10,  1862. 
Dear  Mother: 

Yours  received  all  right.  The  rebels  are  driving  the  union  army  back 
by  the  mile.  Reports  say  that  Jackson  is  invading  Penn.  Glad  of  it ;  it  will 
serve  to  raise  the  men  to  a  sense  of  duty.  The  boys  have  begun  already  to 
come  down  on  the  ($300)  three  hundred  dollar  men.  It  gets  them  a  little 
snappish;  but  they  can  do  nothing  for  themselves.  I  don't  know  but  we 
shall  have  a  chance  to  come  home,  that  is  if  Jackson  is  going  to  be  good 
enough  to  drive  us  the  right  way  and  back  there.  He  brags  now  of  going 
just  where  he  wants  to ;  he  always  has,  why  can't  he  now  just  as  well  as  then  ? 
Time  will  show.  The  Captain's  health  is  good,  also  mine;  Jere's  improv- 
ing as  fast  as  he  declined.  I  would  like  to  go  north  and  "  hiper"  you  fellows 
up  once,  and  ask  you  what  you  are  at  ?  Afraid  to  go  to  war;  but  will  sell 
your  lives  for  $300.  Well  you  spoke  about  short  ones — letters,  I  mean. 
This  is  short  and  sweet.  George  B.  and  George  Frye  are  well.  Love  to  all. 

Am  yours  truly, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

Excuse  writing,  as  we  have  but  few  conveniences.     Amen. 

FORT  CRAIG,  VA.,  Oct.  15,  1862. 
Dear  Family: 

The  men  suffer  very  much  from  cold,  having  had  no  blankets  since  the 
advance,  only  what  they  could  pick  up,  and  nothing  but  the  soft  side  of  a 
board  to  sleep  on ;  but  I  sleep  as  well  as  at  home,  having  nearly  all  the  con- 
veniences of  that  place. 

You  think  I  had  better  "  stop  in  camp  than  go  out  roaming  around  the 
country"  ?  Well  the  fact  is,  a  fellow  gets  tired  of  laying  round,  and  another 
reason  is,  I  want  to  see  the  country;  it  is  different  from  that  in  Mass.,  being 
hills  and  valleys  everywhere.  I  should  like  to  go  to  a  meeting  where  there 
is  some  kind  of  a  man  going  to  speak ;  have  not  heard  one  since  being  out 

[16] 


here  and  fear  that  I  am  no  better  on  account  of  it,  although  but  little  good 
our  Chaplain  would  or  could  do.  As  for  the  country  being  ruined,  I  think 
it  will  get  along  as  well  as  usual  for  some  time  to  come.  Our  men  can  fight 
as  well  as  the  southerners ;  but  no  better.  They  have  got  good  fighting  blood 
and  are  as  smart  as  we;  but  it  is  supposed  we  outnumber  them;  still,  don't 
know.  They  have  held  their  own  with  us  so  far  and  should  not  be  surprised 
if  they  did  to  the  end.  The  Capt.  has  got  his  papers  at  last.  Shall  not  ex- 
pect a  box,  now  the  Capt.  has  gone,  till  Thanksgiving. 

I  suppose  Frank  has  got  to  be  quite  an  old  man  by  this  time  and  thinks 
he  is  boss. 

About  those  photographs;  we  can  get  fine  ones  taken  over  in  the  city. 
Which  would  you  rather  have,  the  whole  body  or  the  bust  ?  I  think  the  lat- 
ter for  me,  as  they  say  I  am  a  tall  gawky  looking  fellow.  The  report  here 
is  now  that  we  have  got  to  go  to  California ;  that  there  is  a  large  fleet  off  that 
coast  and  they  want  us  out  there.  I  should  like  to  go  as  I  could  get  out  free 
of  cost.  Do  you  suppose  you  could  get  any  pay  from  the  state,  on  Jere  and 
myself?  Seems  as  though  you  might,  other  families  do.  I  will  draw  up 
something  if  you  think  best  and  get  Lt.  H.  to  sign  it  and  see  if  that  will  do. 
Write  if  you  think  best  or  not.  The  old  members  of  Co.  B  are  determined 
that  if  they  get  home  they  will  draw  a  town  meeting  and  vote  to  give  us 
bounty  ($300)  and  I  have  no  doubt  they  'd  get  the  vote. 

Much  love  to  all.    Give  respects  to  all  inquiring  friends. 

Yours, 

L.  B.,  JR. 

Oct.  16. 

I  am  just  out  of  bed  and  am  going  to  add  a  few  lines.  The  new  troops 
are  drilling  and  they  have  to  drill  like  good  ones  too.  Sitting  here  at  the 
door  of  the  tent,  I  get  a  view  of  the  Potomac.  If  the  Capt.  should  go  home, 
if  you  look  in  his  trunk  and  get  the  picture  of  a  young  lady,  keep  it  for  me. 
It  is  a  Virginia  lass. 

[Captain  Bradley  returned  home  in  October,  1862.  Leverett  had  been 
clerk  of  the  company  for  nearly  a  year,  and  he  had  shown  great  ability  for 
taking  pains  and  accuracy.  He  learned  to  write  very  evenly  and  picked  up 
knowledge  at  every  turn.  The  clear  perception  for  which  he  was  noted  in 
after-life  can  be  traced  here.  The  discipline  in  a  camp  where  petty  jealous- 
ies and  quarrels  filled  the  leisure  hours  consisted  in  keeping  free  from  them 
and  rising  to  every  opportunity  for  responsibility.  He  also  developed  his 
ability  to  keep  his  temper  and  learned  to  hold  his  tongue.  He  was  very 
thoughtful  of  the  family  at  home,  and  felt  the  care  of  his  brother  Jere,  the 
drummer-boy,  who  at  this  time  was  fourteen.  Leverett  was  sixteen.  The 
restricted  circumstances  of  the  family  during  the  war  made  him  conscien- 
tious about  self-support. — ED.] 


-    A    .      .,      ,  ,  Oct.  29,  1862. 

To  the  family  at  home: 

How  would  you  like  me  to  get  in  the  navy  ?  You  know  I  spoke  of  it  be- 
fore I  left  home  and  it  has  been  in  my  head  ever  since,  1st  for,  and  then 
against  it.  I  don't  know  as  I  could;  but  would  try  hard.  I  think  you  could 
do  all  you  could  there,  and  I,  here;  but  I  would  not  do  it  against  your  wish. 
Mr.  G.  is  one  of  them  to  get  a  chance  at  and  I  did  n't  know  but  what  the 
Capt.  and  he  could  talk  and  I  would  see  Asst.  Secretary  Fox,  of  the  Navy 
here.  It  is  the  only  service  that  has  done  anything  since  the  war.  I  don't 
know  as  I  could  get  out  of  the  army,  into  it;  but  think  I  could.  I,  perhaps, 
could  pass  no  kind  of  an  examination;  but  I  think  I  could  get  very  good 
recommendations.  Now  don't  say  "pooh,"  but  just  think  it  over  and  see 
what  you  think  of  it.  It  is  the  place  to  bring  up  a  boy  anyway.  There  are 
land  services  and  sea  services.  Now,  please  ponder  and  weigh  the  subject 
well  and  give  only  your  opinion.  You  may  think  I  have  changed  that 
"California"  note;  but  by  this  means  I  could  stand  a  better  sight. 

Sunrise. 

The  beautiful  morning  sun  is  just  peeping  into  my  tent  quite  cheerily. 
It  was  not  very  cold  last  night  and  I  slept  like  a  good  one.  Have  answered 
roll-call  and  built  a  fire  and  now  can  write.  Can  Frank  go  through  the 
sword  exercise? 

I  hope  you  will  meet  with  success  in  your  great  speech  to  be  made 
shortly.  Have  everything  on  your  tongue's  end  that  you  are  going  to  say 
and  then  let  them  have  it;  but  I  don't  know  as  I  can  give  you  any  advice. 

[He  was  sixteen,  writing  to  his  father. — ED.] 

FORT  CRAIG,  Va.,  Nov.  19,  1862. 
Dear  Family: 

I  am  getting  better  day  by  day,  but  by  what  the  boys  say,  am  rather  thin. 
They  want  to  know  what  deed  they  have  done,  that  a  ghost  should  appear 
before  them.  I  go  by  the  name  of  Hamlet's  ghost;  but  I  expect  soon  to  get 
my  old  flesh  on  again.  I  am  feeling  first  rate.  The  butter  tastes  first  rate; 
I  eat  toasted  bread  and  butter.  I  think  it  quite  a  relish  to  get  hold  of  such 
stuff  right  along.  Will  do  as  you  direct  about  money  matters;  if  I  can't  get 
over  to  the  city  myself  I'll  send  by  the  sutler.  I  think  he  can  be  trusted. 
Those  shirts  are  very  comfortable.  I  had  but  one  the  afternoon  they  came, 
and  I  had  a  bath  and  a  change  of  clothes.  Jere  is  on  guard  and  cannot 
write.  They  have  got  so  they  put  drummers  on  guard,  the  same  as  at  Bar- 
nard; but  he  does  not  stop  on  all  night,  that  is  one  good  thing.  We  never 
have  had  so  much  sickness  before.  Burnside  is  doing  a  big  thing,  and  if  he 
don't  go  through  with  it  he  will  get  kicked  out,  and  receive  no  mercy  from 

the  public   at  large  and  some  one  else  will  come  in.    "O He  is  the 

man.  He  is  the  man."  Then  they  will  kick  him  out,  and  that  is  the  way  it 
will  go.    I  am  tired,  as  you  will  see  by  my  writing.  From 

LEV. 

[18] 


FORT  CRAIG,  VA.,  Dec.  21,  1862. 
Dear  Family: 

Glad  to  hear  of  your  good  health.  We  are  in  the  same  condition.  It  has 
been  terribly  cold  weather  for  us. 

The  war  news  is  of  but  little  importance.  The  report  is,  we  are  to  have 
a  new  cabinet,  and  that  Seward  has  resigned.  The  men  throughout  the 
army  are  getting  discouraged,  and  men  from  Fredericksburg  say  if  officers 
were  to  try  their  best  to  lead  them  into  another  fight  on  the  same  ground 
the  men  would  not  follow.  It  was  a  perfect  butchery  of  our  men.  Fremont 
(some  think)  will  get  either  Sec.  of  War  or  command  of  the  army.  Report 
this  morning  was  Halleck  had  resigned. 

Don't  sell  old  Sam  [a  dog]  unless  you  get  a  good  price  for  him,  because 
you  know  he  is  mine. 

Later. 

We  have  rec'd  orders  to  go  to  Harper's  Ferry  to-morrow  and  Jere  had 
to  get  drum  head.  We  shall  carry  most  everything;  will  send  you  a  box  of 
extra  clothing,  pay  at  that  end.  I  am  packing  up  as  fast  as  I  can.  The  boys 
feel  first  rate;  will  write  if  there  is  anything  new.  L.  B.,  JR. 


MARYLAND  HEIGHTS,  Dec., 
Dear  Friends: 

Have  not  rec'd  your  letter  yet.  We  arrived  here  after  an  all  night's  ride 
in  the  cars  and  then  had  to  tramp  this  mountain.  We  are  1100  ft.  above  the 
river  and  it  is  cold  all  the  time.  We  have  to  go  a  mile  and  J  to  get  up  here 
and  it  is  a  steep  and  rocky  path.  We  have  7  guns,  5  Boat  Howitzers  and 
12  Pdr  Field  guns.  There  are  two  beautiful  valleys,  one  on  each  side  of  us, 
named  Pleasant  Valley  and  Valley  of  the  Potomac.  The  Shenandoah  river 
comes  in  here.  We  have  a  fine  view  of  Harper's  Ferry,  but  it  is  mostly  de- 
serted except  by  sutlers.  The  Rebs  show  themselves  once  in  a  while;  they 
are  guerillas  of  the  Hampton's  League. 

We  are  alone  here  on  the  mountain,  the  other  Go's  are  further  down. 
We  have  a  great  job  to  get  water;  have  to  go  a  mile  down  and  then  three  can 
get  only  enough  for  coffee.  Start  half  rations  twice  a  day.  It  is  rather  tough ; 
but  what  is  the  use  of  being  a  soldier  if  you  are  n't  one.  There  are  a  lot  of 
Rebs  buried  outside  the  battery,  killed  in  the  fight.  We  are  both  well.  Wish 
I  could  have  those  things  in  G's  box.  Love  to  all.  LEV. 


MARYLAND  HEIGHTS,  Dec.  28,  1862. 
Dear  Family: 

We  have  no  letter  from  you.  We  are  situated  on  the  highest  point  of  the 
Blue  Range.  Can  see  a  distance  of  40  miles  in  the  valley  of  Virginia,  and 
mountains  some  75  miles  distant.  To  the  south  west,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  is  the  village  of  Charlestown,  where  John  Brown  was  hung, 

[19] 


some  12  miles  from  here.  To  the  N.  W.  is  Martinsburg,  50  miles.  It  is  a 
beautiful  sight  to  see,  worth  coming  for.  Can  see  the  valley  of  the  Shenan- 
doah  for  15  miles,  so  notorious  for  the  retreats  and  advances  of  the  two 
armies  of  Gen.  Banks  and  Jackson.  There  was  a  great  commotion  here, 
the  other  night,  caused  by  a  despatch  from  the  two  Gens,  at  Winchester 
that  the  enemy  was  coming  and  that  they  would  fall  back  on  Harper's 
Ferry.  But  they  have  n't  come  yet.  The  men  are  building  barracks  24  in. 
thick.  The  detachment  of  Company  H  left  two,  which  they  had  built  for 
themselves.  From  the  direction  the  rebels  came,  when  they  took  the  place, 
are  lots  of  what  might  be  called  graves,  with  toes  and  hands  out  of  the 
ground.  The  boys  get  bones  and  buttons  and  such  things  as  relics.  We 
have  had  a  hard  time  of  it  so  far;  but  no  cause  to  grumble.  Hard  work  to 
get  food  or  water  up  the  mountain.  It  takes  five  mules  to  bring  a  half  load 
of  water  and  that  takes  half  a  day.  We  are  trying  to  get  a  pack  mule  to 
bring  water.  They  are  going  to  have  a  signal  station.  They  are  signaling 
now  to  a  point  of  rocks  12  miles  down  the  river,  the  place  where  the  rebs 
crossed  at  the  battle  of  Antietam.  Capt.,  I  will  ask  if  once  a  week  won't  do 
to  write  long  letters  ?  Time  flies  faster  up  here ;  we  are  above  the  clouds  a 
good  part  of  the  time. 

I  expect  muster  rolls  to-day,  but  have  nothing  but  an  old  box  to  make 
them  out  on.    I  am  writing  now  on  a  cigar-box  cover  on  my  lap. 

[His  writing  and  spelling  had  taken  a  great  jump  in  a  few  weeks,  show- 
ing unconscious  control  and  a  high  standard  in  these  respects. — ED.] 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  Jan.  25,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Have  written  a  note  to  Lizzie  [his  sister].  She  says  her  school  is  "be- 
having in  behavior."  We  stop  in  No.  9  tent;  it  is  stockaded  and  in  rear  of 
barracks;  the  women  have  our  shanty. 

Feb.  1. 

We  were  all  paid  up  Thursday  for  four  months.    I  shall  send  the  money 

by  Adams  express.    I  have  collected  all  in  the  Co.  but  P.  and  G n's. 

I  think  I  can  get  G n's  before  I  send  money;  P's  is  doubtful.    Shall  send 

Geo.  Bricket's  with  mine.  We  had  a  terrible  storm;  here  on  the  Mountain 
the  snow  is  two  feet  deep  and  it  blows.  M.  was  promoted  to  Corpl.  yester- 
day. S.  was  broke.  The  boys  are  very  indignant  about  it ;  you  know  he  did 
not  come  out  until  last  Sept.  We  have  got  so  we  have  a  row  every  day. 
Capt.  has  some  one  to  the  wheel  every  night ;  he  has  got  the  rough  ones  down 
on  him.  Co.  sent  home  $1709  yesterday  and  paid  debts  for  6  months.  I 
went  down  to  the  Naval  battery  and  collected  two  bills  there.  There  is  a 
report  that  we  are  to  move.  Shall  send  our  money  on  Tuesday,  so  look  out 
for  it.  If  we  happen  to  move  shall  wait.  Much  love  to  all  from 

LEV.,  JR. 

[20] 


BOAT  HOWITZER  BATTERY,  MD.  HEIGHTS, 

Feb.  8,  1863. 
Dear  Mother  and  Father: 

Yours  found  us  all  well.  I  started  the  money  last  Wednesday  $196  (one 
hundred  and  ninety  six).  George  Bricket  sent  $32  which  you  will  please  de- 
liver to  uncle  Frank;  he  paid  me  for  sending  it.  It  cost  $1.50  for  sending 
it;  kept  $1  out  and  paid  the  rest  from  my  own.  I  shall  keep  dunning  for 
the  rest  of  those  notes  till  I  get  it.  Should  not  be  surprised  if  we  got  paid 
again  soon.  The  boys  have  all  paid  up  their  bills  well.  H.  deserted,  has  not 
been  heard  from  since  pay  day;  most  likely  will  keep  clear  and  not  get 
caught.  We  have  an  order  to  stop  the  Artillery  practice  and  we  have  got  a 
shelf  fixed  so  we  can  take  Shell  of  all  kinds  to  pieces.  There  is  an  exami- 
nation of  Sergt's  for  promotion;  it  is  an  order  from  Col.  S.  He  will  recom- 
mend them  to  Gov.  Andrew.  An  Ex  Capt.  D.  is  at  the  Hooks  on  a  spree 
and  some  of  the  boys  go  down  and  have  one  with  him.  There  is  a  time 
coming  when  the  men  of  Co.  B  will  have  a  chance  to  speak  their  thoughts 
and  minds  and  they  will  do  it.  The  men  still  think  a  great  deal  of  Capt. 
Bradley,  or,  as  they  call  him,  "  Snap  it  up."  Your  name  is  spoken  a  great 
many  times  a  day,  and  many  are  the  wishes  that  you  were  commander  now. 
I  may  stand  a  chance  yet.  My  duty  is  much  harder  than  at  Craig,  on  ac- 
count of  commanding  the  post.  Have  to  make  out  returns  of  ammunition 
every  Monday  morning,  &C.  Much  love  to  all. 

LEVERETT,  JR. 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  Feb.  22,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Yours  found  us  all  well.  This  is  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Geo. 
Washington.  We  had  an  order  yesterday  to  hold  divine  service  at  10  o'clk 
A.M.  together  with  a  dress  parade;  but  we  had  a  severe  snow  storm  last 
night  and  it  has  snowed  ever  since,  the  hardest  we  have  had.  Sergt.  R.  ap- 
plied for  a  furlough;  but  the  Major  refused  to  forward  it,  on  the  ground  that 
several  had  received  them  and  have  not  been  heard  from  since.  T.  is  trying 
to  get  one;  went  over  to  see  the  Gen'l  yesterday,  but  got  no  definite  answer. 
Capt.  —  —  has  not  been  heard  from  since  keeping  a  hotel!  The  news  seems 
to  be  a  little  more  encouraging;  we  must  have  a  defeat  or  victory  at  Vicks- 
burg  and  along  the  Charleston  coast.  The  papers  speak  of  English  and 
French  mediation  in  our  affairs,  but  I  don't  know  as  it  will  amount  to  any 
thing.  Last  night  they  spoke  of  the  French  Army  in  Mexico ;  they  have  had 
several  defeats  and  I  guess  they  will  have  to  work  hard  to  get  a  good  sub- 
stantial position  any  where  in  Mexico.  The  boys  say  that  Capt.  Bradley  and 
Genl.  McClellan  are  their  men.  What  do  they  think  of  the  way  Gov.  An- 
drew used  Genl.  McClellan  on  his  late  visit  to  Massachusetts  ?  The  boys 
don't  have  a  very  good  opinion  of  his  doings;  in  fact  he  is  not  liked  amongst 
the  troops.  Now  I  will  give  Mother  a  little  news,  or  rather  answer  some  of 

[21] 


her  kind  questions.  I  kept  money  enough  to  pay  up  old  bills  and  a  little  on 
hand.  We  both  kept  $5  a  piece;  you  see  Jere  only  draws  $12  a  month  to  my 
$13.  We  fare  as  well  as  can  be  expected;  in  fact  we  have  all  we  can  eat  and 
more  too.  Draw  fresh  beef  and  no  salt  or  corned,  keep  twelve  days  rations 
ahead.  To  give  you  an  idea  of  what  we  have  (and  you  must  judge  the  cook- 
ing; but  we  think  it  good,  Cyrus  Messer  is  cook  now).  Well  first,  we  have 
coffee,  Bread,  fresh  beef,  with  some  that  we  salt,  Bread  of  the  best  quality, 
potatoes,  dried  apples  and  molasses,  and  a  soup  twice  a  week;  have  vinegar, 
salt  &c.  as  much  as  we  want.  I  should  like  to  write  to  all  of  my  relations ; 
but  some  times  I  don't  feel  like  answering  letters  and  then  it  stops.  I  hope 
I  shall  be  able  to  correspond  with  Home,  as  I  may  well  call  it,  once  a  week. 
Love  to  all.  LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

MD.  HEIGHTS,  March  8,  1863. 
Dear  Father: 

Yours  reed.  Am  sorry  to  hear  that  you  are  so  afflicted  with  rheumatism, 
it  must  come  hard  to  you,  as  you  have  always  been  so  healthy.  There  are 
only  two  sergt's  called  from  each  company.  They  were  examined,  and  a 
hard  ex',  it  was.  I  assure  you  there  is  a  feeling  for  you  here;  there  is  scarcely 
a  day  goes  by  but  what  I  hear  your  name  spoken  of  in  good  terms.  The  non- 
commissioned officers  recite  once  a  week  from  the  red  book  on  artillery. 
They  are  going  into  the  thing  scientiffically ;  have  bought  several  useful  books 
on  artillery  and  take  hold  of  it  with  energy.  I  do  not  get  lessons,  but  I  am 
in  the  room  when  they  recite  and  gather  considerable  information.  I  took 
a  tramp  with  several  of  the  boys  to  Solomon's  Gap,  5  miles  out  on  the  ridge; 
it  is  cut  through  the  mountain ;  could  see  plainly  where  the  battle  of  South 
Mt.  was  fought,  it  is  about  12  miles  from  here.  Would  it  pay  for  me  to 
have  a  firkin  of  butter  come  out  here  ?  I  will  leave  it  all  to  you ;  butter  is 
'35  cts.  a  Ib.  here  and  scarce  at  that.  If  it  will  pay  ship  it  along,  as  there  are 
plenty  of  chances  to  dispose  of  it.  The  Lieut,  assigned  to  the  Co.  has  not 
arrived  yet.  There  are  many  reports  going  here;  one  is  that  we  are  going 
back  to  Fort  Warren !  Very  respectfully  yours, 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

MD.  HEIGHTS,  M arch  25,  1863. 
Dear  Friends: 

Glad  to  hear  the  Capt.  is  improving.  We  are  well.  Affairs  are  the  same 
as  the  other  day.  The  Lieuts.  are  still  under  arrest;  some  are  at  the  naval 
guard  house,  took  them  out  of  the  magazine  on  account  of  their  health. 

The  signal. Officer  at  this  post  received  a  dispatch  from  Martinsburg 
that  we  have  Vicksburg  in  our  possession,  it  has  not  got  out  yet.  To- 
night's paper  had  no  news,  but  the  report  is  they  are  evacuating  Vicksburg 
and  are  going  to  throw  their  whole  force  on  Rosecrans ;  Burnside  is  at  Cin- 
cinati  on  his  way  to  the  army  of  the  south  west.  I  do  hope  that  we  shall  be 

[22] 


able  to  give  them  a  severe  whipping  all  round  before  long.  It  is  about  time 
something  was  done.  I  want  you  to  send  me  two  boxes  of  salt  mackerel 
A.  no  1.  I  can  get  ten  cts.  a  piece  for  them  by  keeping  them  till  pay  day. 
I  am  sure  if  you  will  get  them  for  me,  that  I  can  get  out  whole  with  a  little 
over.  I  shall  expect  all  the  butter  you  can  send,  as  we  need  it  very  much, 
having  nothing  to  eat  but  our  bread,  coffee  and  beef.  "  I  must  have  my  but- 
ter! "  What  do  you  think  the  prospect  is  of  our  getting  home?  Of  course 
you  know  it  can  not  be  till  the  war  is  over.  The  general  opinion  is  that  six 
months  will  see  all  the  fighting  over.  One  thing  more,  we  must  not  give 
them  peace,  unless  honorable  to  our  arms ;  there  must  be  no  squeezeing  out 
place,  keep  them  until  they  submit  to  our  terms.  The  end  greatly  depends 
upon  our  success  at  Vicksburg,  port  Hudson,  and  Charleston.  If  we  whip 
them  at  these  places  I  think  Joe  Hooker  will  start  them  and  will  drive  them 
till  they  get  some  thing  very  strong  to  hide  behind.  About  influence,  I  don't 
urge  my  case  hard,  but  just  mention  the  thing,  and  if  any  thing  should  turn 
up,  you  might  put  it  to  use  in  my  case,  as  /  am  in  the  army.  I  think  not  to 
use  any  bragadocio,  that  I  am  as  capable  as  a  great  many  others. 
Jere  will  write  next  Sunday.  Much  love  to  all. 

Yours   &c. 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 


BOAT  HOWITZER  BATTERY,  MD.  HEIGHTS, 

April  5,  1863. 
Dear  Friends: 

I  received  three  letters  and  a  box.  The  major  has  got  up  a  new  signal 
code  for  the  benefit  of  the  officers;  each  one  knowing  them,  they  talk  with 
the  other  batteries.  I  see  by  the  paper  that  McClellan  has  made  his  report 
of  his  campaign,  it  will  be  out  next  week.  The  voice  of  the  army  is  still  for 
him,  and  no  wonder,  in  his  report  he  gives  all  the  praise  to  the  men.  He 
says  that  "  to  the  calm  judgement  of  history  he  leaves  the  task  of  pronounc- 
ing on  the  mouvement,  confident  that  its  verdict  will  be,  that  no  such  diffi- 
cult one  was  ever  more  successfully  executed.  That  no  army  ever  fought 
more  heroically,  repeatedly,  and  successfully  against  such  odds,  that  no  men 
of  any  race,  ever  displayed  greater  disipline,  endurance,  patience  and  cheer- 
fulness under  such  hardships."  No  wonder  that  the  soldier's  heart  clings 
to  him,  for  the  reason  that  he  is  right,  but  has  been  shamefully  abused. 
Gen'l.  Morris,  formerly  Col.  of  the  N.  Y.  6.  Heavy  Artillery,  has  command 
of  us  now,  or  rather  we  are  in  his  brigade.  All  of  his  staff  officers  are  from 
his  regiment  and  he  does  not  look  with  much  respect  on  this  battalion. 
Major  R.  will  not  stand  much  from  him;  they  have  only  been  in  the  service 
since  last  Oct.  They  have  the  idea  that  they  can  whip  the  world.  It  really 
seems  as  if  we  were  never  going  to  move. 

I  hope  they  will  put  the  conscription  act  in  force  soon.  I  have  no  doubt 
some  men  north  would  as  leave  let  the  south  have  all  they  want  rather  than 

[23] 


come  out  here.  What  kind  of  men  do  you  call  them  ?  They  think  a  great 
deal  of  their  Country!  If  you  have  an  opportunity,  get  the  Adjutant  gen- 
eral of  Massachusett's  report  for  1862,  it  is  a  good  thing.  News  from  Fort 
Albany  is  big,  I  forgot  to  write  it  before.  Major  W.  is  a  2nd  Lieut  in  the 
N.  Y.  2nd  H.  A,  Lt.  D.  is  being  court  martialled  for  drunkenness.  Capt's 
C.  and  A.  have  resigned  and  also  Lt.  S.  Col.  W.  has  preferred  charges 
against  Col.  C.  Grand  chance  for  promotion,  which  there  always  has  been 
in  this  regt,  but  there  is  no  chance  for  poor  W.  From 

LEV. 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  Apr.  25,  1863. 
Dear  Father: 

I  hope  this  will  find  you  improving  in  health.  As  soon  as  R.  returned 
here  the  first  questions  were,  if  he  went  to  see  the  old  captain  ?  We  had  a 
grand  inspection  here  yesterday  by  Genl.  Barry,  Chief  of  artillery  for  the 
army;  he  complimented  us  on  our  good  looks,  i.e.  as  soldiers.  I  was  com- 
plimented by  Major  R.  for  the  neatness  of  an  inventory  of  Ordanance  and 
ordanance  stores  of  this  post,  which  I  had  to  make  out.  The  Major  has  no 
clerk  now;  he  asked  the  Capt.  for  me  but  I  don't  know  what  answer  he  gave. 
I  shall  keep  still  and  if  I  think  it  is  for  my  interest  to  take  it,  shall  do  so.  You 
know  I  have  a  good  position  now  and  move  or  no  move,  I  shall  probably 
have  it  unless  some  other  thing  interferes.  As  it  is  now  Adj.  Hervey  has 
asked  the  capt.  if  I  cant  go  down  and  help  him  after  I  have  made  out  the 
muster  rolls,  as  he  has  more  than  he  can  attend  to  on  account  of  the  returns. 
For  the  last  two  days  it  has  rained  and  the  Barracks  being  leaky  we  spoke 
of  mouving  our  clothes  out  to  dry !  I  forgot  in  my  last  to  answer  a  few  ques- 
tions. I  am  5  ft.  10  in.  high.  Dont  know  my  weight.  Now  you  that  have 
not  seen  me  since  I  left  home,  dont  go  to  imagining  a  great  big  fellow,  be- 
cause it  ain't  so;  but  there  is  consolation  in  the  fact  that  I  have  got  a  few 
years  to  thicken  up  in ;  but  you  can  imagine  a  good  looking  fellow !  I  wish 
you  could  see  the  scenery,  the  late  rains  have  changed  the  grass  from  a 
deadly  color  to  a  green.  B.  M.  is  at  Fort  Albany,  having  returned  on  ac- 
count of  the  president's  proclamation  to  deserters.  We  have  had  five  desert 
since  we  have  been  up  here,  one  of  Methuen's  $300  men;  he  had  nearly  $50 
of  G.  F—  — 's  .  This  makes  3  of  that  stamp.  Methuen  has  lost  so  much  of 
recruits.  Love  to  all.  I  remain,  Yours  &c., 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  May  10,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Glad  to  hear  that  the  Capt.  is  improving.  The  rumor  here  is  that  Rich- 
mond is  taken.  It  was  nearly  "  taps  "  last  night  and  I  was  preparing  to  turn 
in,  when  the  cry  was  to  fall  in.  I  dressed  immediately  and  went  out.  The 
Lieut,  read  a  letter  from  Major  R.  to  the  effect  that  Keyes  had  taken  Rich- 

[24] 


mond.  I  can  assure  you  there  was  some  tall  cheering.  It  further  stated 
that  extras  were  being  issued  in  Phil'a,  N.  Y.  and  Boston  and  that  the  peo- 
ple were  perfectly  crazy  with  excitement;  but  he  also  says,  dont  think  too 
much  of  it,  it  may  need  conformation.  The  dispatch  was  from  Head  Quar- 
ters at  Baltimore  to  Genl.  Kelly,  and  it  doesn't  seem  possible  that  they  would 
send  it  unless  they  were  very  confident  it  was  so.  If  you  have  got  the  news 
there  and  are  making  such  a  time  over  it,  such  as  firing  salutes  &c.  &c. 
and  then  it  should  turn  out  to  be  a  hoax,  what  a  feeling  of  despondency 
would  invade  the  heart  of  every  true  soldier  and  worse  than  that,  what 
would  be  the  feelings  of  the  people  of  the  whole  north !  I  do  hope  and  pray 
that  it  is  taken,  and  if  so,  see  the  position  Lee's  army  is  in;  it  has  no  chance 
of  escape;  there  is  also  a  rumor  that  Vicksburg  is  taken  by  the  combined 
forces  of  Genl.  Grant  and  Rear  Admiral  Porter;  this  does  not  look  so  prom- 
ising as  the  other,  considering  the  relative  positions  of  the  two  forces;  but 
still  I  hope  it  may  be  so.  I  see  the  conscription  act  is  going  into  effect  soon. 
It  makes  the  boys  delighted,  because  they  want  to  see  some  of  those  rabid 
men  in  Methuen.  Just  been  up  on  the  parapet  of  the  fort  signalling  to  the 
30  Prd  Battery;  on  account  of  the  sun,  can  only  make  out  "good  news."  I 
hope  so,  the  Capt.  is  going  down  to  see.  I  wish  you  were  here  to  see  the 
sight  we  see  every  day  and  that  is,  the  different  valleys  visable  in  all  parts 
from  here;  the  grass  has  put  on  his  coat  and  the  trees  have  begun  to  bud. 
To  speak  plainly,  it  is  the  most  beautiful  scenery  I  ever  looked  on.  The 
Capt.  has  got  back;  the  news  is  confirmed  of  the  taking  of  Richmond  with 
70  cannon.  Much  love  to  all  from  LEV. 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  May  24,  1863. 
Dear  Friends: 

Yours  found  us  all  well.  Was  sorry  to  hear  that  Aunt  D.  was  so  near 
her  end ;  but  hers  has  been  a  life  of  sickness.  We  might  say  her  last  moments 
on  earth  would  be  the  happiest  she  ever  enjoyed  for  years.  But  to  change 
the  topic  to  the  great  cry  of  the  nation,  when  is  the  war  to  be  settled?  I 
must  say  the  matters  look  pretty  blue.  We  must  gain  a  victory  soon,  in 
some  quarter  and  a  great  victory  at  that.  If  the  papers  speak  the  truth,  the 
feelings  of  the  people  North  are  a  little  disloyal;  I  don't  mean  in  Mass.,  but 
more  particularly  the  "  Empire  State,"  especially  on  the  Vallandigham  case. 
He  is  a  traitor  and  why  not  give  him  his  dues  ?  I  see  that  he  was  not  to  be 
sent  to  Fort  Warren  but  through  our  lines  to  the  south.  I  hope  Gov.  Sey- 
mour will  soon  follow  him;  he  certainly  does  no  good  to  our  cause,  but  on 
the  contrary  a  great  deal  of  harm.  The  weather  has  been  very  hot,  but  if 
there  is  a  breeze  we  get  it.  It  is  beginning  to  get  hard  on  us  again,  to  have 
to  go  half  way  down  the  mountain  for  water,  and  if  we  don't  have  rain  soon, 
shall  have  to  go  to  the  foot.  It  is  not  very  pleasant  crawling  up  the  moun- 
tain with  a  few  canteens  and  a  scorching  sun  sending  its  burning  rays  on 
to  the  back.  Lieut.  H.  has  returned  to  Co.  H  for  duty;  while  here  he  won 

[25] 


the  enthusiasm  of  the  men;  if  the  men  did  not  know  the  drill,  he  would  take 
hold  and  show  them  and  not  damn  them.  The  feelings  of  the  Co.  are  worse 
than  they  have  ever  been  before.  I  have  no  doubt  if  they  had  a  leader  to 
carry  out  any  thing,  some  change  might  take  place  in  the  Company.  There 
are  fears  that  Harper's  Ferry  will  be  attacked.  The  rebs  have  shown  them- 
selves rather  plucky  lately.  I  wish  you  would  send  me  out  my  Spanish  book ; 
we  are  having  a  small  class  in  the  barracks  I  stop  in.  Have  got  one  man  that 
can  speak  well.  I  have  some  one  ask  me  every  day  how  you  are  and  if  I 
think  you  will  come  out  here  this  summer.  What  do  you  think  of  it  ? 
I  remain,  Your  obt.  servant, 

L.  B.,  JR. 

MD.  HEIGHTS,  June  14,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Yours  of  Sunday  found  us  all  well.  I  made  a  tour  to  Antietam  last  week ; 
I  hired  a  horse  for  a  $1.00,  rode  about  30  miles,  was  tired  enough  when  I  got 
back.  There  were  four  of  us,  had  a  fine  time.  Visited  all  the  places  of  in- 
terest ;  but  the  farmers  have  cleared  up  the  grounds  and  it  does  not  look  as 
if  a  great  battle  had  been  fought  there.  I  got  but  few  relics.  The  Capt.  is 
heading  a  paper  to  get  Jere  a  bugle.  Affairs  are  progressing  in  Co.  B  as 
usual,  that  is  every  one  is  dissatisfied.  Co.  I  has  gone  to  Winchester  to  gar- 
rison there.  A  dispatch  came  yesterday  that  the  rebs  were  making  a  raid 
up  this  way  and  to  have  all  ready  and  manned  for  an  emergency.  When 
last  heard  from  they  were  at  Berryville  on  the  Shenandoah  river  and  work- 
ing this  way.  Genl.  Imbroke  had  command.  We  lost  several  officers  and 
men.  Some  one  has  come  up  from  the  Ferry  and  says  citizens  are  coming 
in  from  Martinsburg  and  reporting  the  rebels  10000  strong  within  a  mile  of 
that  place;  probably  the  number  is  exaggerated.  We  have  now  five  com- 
panies on  the  hill.  They  do  picket  duty  around  the  hill,  front  of  the  battery. 

Monday  morning. 

We  were  turned  out  again  about  12  M.  last  night  with  a  report  that  the 
rebs  were  at  Martinsburg  and  working  this  way.  We  saw  a  big  engagement 
about  10  miles  from  here,  saw  the  flash  of  the  guns  plain.  Rumors  say  it 
was  Milroy's  forces  and  that  they  have  been  beaten.  The  Hook  is  full  of 
women  and  children  from  the  country,  40  trains  came  down  from  the  valley 
yesterday.  Saw  a  train  of  cars  on  fire  last  night.  We  may  have  a  small  en- 
gagement before  the  week  is  out.  From 

LEV. 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  June  24,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

I  have  no  doubt  you  have  felt  a  little  anxiety  for  our  welfare ;  we  are  safe 
and  sound  as  ever,  but  pretty  well  surrounded.    We  have  a  fine  view  of  the 

[26] 


enemy,  they  are  in  strong  force  all  through  the  valley;  rumors  say  that  Genl. 
Hooker  is  after  them ;  he  has  crossed  part  of  their  force  to  the  Md.  side.  A 
signal  corps  came  with  very  large  glasses  to  take  observations.  I  have  had 
some  fine  views  at  them.  We  have  strengthened  our  fortifications  greatly, 
working  night  and  day,  consequently  a  great  deal  of  excitement.  I  should 
have  written  before,  but  had  no  chance  to  send.  I  hope  this  will  reach  you. 
I  have  had  no  letters  as  yet,  trains  do  not  run  at  all;  an  officer  is  going  to 
the  Relay  house  and  I  send  by  him.  The  whole  Co.  is  well  and  in  good 
spirits.  Much  love  to  all  from  LEV. 

[On  the  advance  of  Lee's  army  up  the  valley,  they  were  engaged  at  the 
battle  of  Winchester  and  the  evacuation  of  Harper's  Ferry,  falling  back 
with  the  main  army  to  Frederick  City. — ED.] 


[Written  in  pencil.] 

IN  THE  FIELD,  FREDERICK  JUNCTION,  MD., 

July  4,  1863, 1.30  p.m. 
Dear  Family: 

Have  just  rec'd  yours  of  June  21.  I  have  been  unable  to  write  before  as 
I,  or  rather  all  of  us,  have  been  in  the  move.  Orders  came  a  week  ago  to- 
day for  the  evacuation  of  Harper's  Ferry  and  the  destruction  of  all  the  ordi- 
nance stores  from  Genl.  Hooker,  who  was  there;  but  before  we  set  to  work, 
the  order  was  countermanded  by  Genl.  Halleck.  But  orders  came  in  ear- 
nest on  Monday;  all  the  guns  were  removed  but  the  old  ones  and  the  100 
pdr.,  which  were  destroyed.  The  amunition  was  all  destroyed.  There  was  an 
explosion  at  the  South  30  pdr.  Battery,  some  of  the  green  8th  N.  Y.  H.  A. 
went  in  with  axes,  striking  Cap  shell  and  exploding  the  pile;  some  five  or 
six  were  killed.  Started  for  the  Hook  about  1  o'clk  on  the  30th;  worked  all 
the  afternoon  and  night  loading  guns  on  to  canal  boats,  raining  all  the  time, 
wetting  the  boys  to  the  skin;  started  from  Sandy  Hook  on  the  1st  of  July, 
about  8  o'clk,  for  fire  brick.  Our  battilion  has  to  do  this  work  alone.  Two 
brigades  were  hours  ahead  of  us  and  one  to  start  12  hours  after.  Frederick 
is  about  20  miles  from  Sandy  Hook.  It  was  very  muddy,  and  the  boys  were 
wet  through ;  about  noon  the  sun  came  out  terribly  hot  and  it  sickened  some 
of  the  boys.  Mind  you,  we  had  started  with  but  little,  but  by  this  time  had 
thrown  every  thing  away.  I  saved  nothing  but  what  was  on  my  back  and  a 
sulpher  Blanket,  lost  every  thing  else.  Encamped  about  7  miles  from  Fred- 
erick and  stopped  over  night,  got  there  next  morning,  stopped  till  noon  and 
then  started  for  here,  3  miles,  and  here  we  all  are,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mon- 
ocacy  river  at  the  junction.  We  are  all  well;  will  write  sunday. 

LEV. 

[27] 


BETWEEN  HAGERSTOWN  AND  FREDERICK  JUNCTION, 

July  11,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

So  far  we  have  received  your  letters  in  due  time.  We  are  right  on  the 
tramp.  My  last  letter  I  left  off  rather  suddenly;  I  had  no  intention  of  send- 
ing it  in  that  mail,  but  the  boy  came  round  and  said,  mail  was  going.  We 
started  from  F.  June,  on  the  7th  at  5  P.M.,  marched  through  Fred'k  and 
out  on  the  Mkldletown  pike,  about  9  miles  and  turned  in  for  the  night.  (A 
band  has  just  struck  up  Hail  Columbia,  two  yards  from  here ;  it  stirs  me  so, 
I  can  hardly  write!)  Have  been  on  the  road  ever  since  and  are  at  last  at 
destination.  Reserve  artillery  corps,  commanded  by  Genl.  Tyler.  We  are 
now  in  the  Fort,  are  going  to  have  some  guns ;  we  expected  we  should  have 
to  go  in  as  infantry.  If  you  will  get  a  map,  showing  the  roads  in  Maryland 
and  Virginia,  I  will  every  time  I  write,  show  the  route  which  may  be  inter- 
esting to  you;  it  is  very  probable  we,  of  this  battilion,  shall  keep  with  the 
army  of  the  Potomac  the  rest  of  the  time.  On  the  way  here,  we  passed 
where  the  cavalry  passed  last  Thursday;  a  great  many  had  horses  in  the 
woods  and  along  the  road  we  could  see  where  shot  had  struck.  We  are  now 
beginning  to  see  a  little  service,  nothing  but  hard  tack,  pork  and  coffee, 
which  we  have  to  cook  ourselves,  but  still  I  like  it.  In  fact  I  like  the  whole 
thing.  I  think  I  shall  fat  up  on  it.  Being  tough,  will  eat,  drink  and  sleep 
together.  We  have  had  a  chance  to  see  a  great  deal  of  the  old  Army,  some 
regiments  have  but  about  40  men;  one  Co.  went  into  the  fight  with  33  men, 
27  were  shot  dead  on  the  spot.  Some  regts  have  been  consolidated  five 
times  and  have  now  but  about  200  men,  it  is  awful  to  think  of.  There  were 
a  great  many  killed  on  both  sides,  in  the  last  battle.  We  are  trying  our  best 
to  catch  Johnny  Reb.  Don't  know  as  we  shall  succeed.  Should  not  be  sur- 
prised if  there  was  a  great  battle  tomorrow,  you  know  Sundays  are  the  days 
for  big  fights.  The  boys  are  feeling  well,  but  have  no  desire  to  be  in  a  fight 
but  would  like  to  see  one.  Have  seen  any  quantity  of  the  Johnnies  lately, 
not  less  than  2000  taken  prisoner  since  the  last  fight.  I  wish  you  could  see 
them,  they  don't  look  as  if  they  belonged  to  the  American  Continent;  they 
have  a  very  peculiar  look.  All  of  the  boys  had  quite  a  talk  with  them,  they 
talk  better  than  they  look.  I  am  today  the  same  boy  L.  B.  Jr. ;  but  a  few 
years  older  than  when  I  left,  I  am  17  today.  The  regiment  has  now  been 
in  the  service  over  two  years,  will  soon  be  nine  months  more.  If  you  see 
uncle  Frank  tell  him  that  George  and  the  rest  are  well.  We  dont  have  much 
of  a  chance  to  write  but  certainly  will  once  a  week.  Direct  yours  to  the  same 
as  ever,  with  the  exception  of  the  place  Washington,  D.  C.  That  is  the 
place.  Jere  is  well  and  sends  his  love.  Much  love  to  all  from 

LEVERETT. 

[During  the  Gettysburg  campaign  a  large  number  of  Company  B  were 
detached  from  the  regiment  and  placed  in  the  light  batteries  of  the  regular 
army  to  make  up  the  losses  caused  by  this  severe  campaign. — ED.] 

[28] 


FORT  DUNCAN,  MD.,  July  27,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

We  have  received  no  letters  since  we  were  at  Fred.  June.  We  have  been 
on  the  tramp  ever  since  and  by  several  counter  marches  we  are  at  length  in 
old  Maryland  again,  on  the  hill  that  Co.  C  garrisoned  last  winter.  I  should 
have  written  before,  but  have  been  unwell  and  have  been  so  on  the  whole 
tramp;  but  I  have  made  out  to  keep  with  the  Co.  all  the  time.  We  have 
been  with  the  "Artillery  Reserve"  until  last  week,  when  we  received  orders 
to  report  to  the  Comd'g  officer  of  Harper's  Ferry.  We  were  at  the  time  at 
a  small  village  called  Unionsville  in  Va.  about  29  miles  from  Harper's  Ferry ; 
we  started  at  7.30  A.M.  and  made  6  rests  until  we  reached  Berlin,  this  side 
of  the  river,  23  miles  distant  from  Unionsville.  The  doctor  had  something 
to  say  on  the  tramp.  The  major  was  going  to  put  us  through  to  B.  without 
any  thing  to  eat,  except  hard  tack  which  we  carry  in  our  haversacks;  but 
the  Dr.  said  he  must  stop  and  let  us  make  some  coffee ;  of  course  the  Major 
obeyed.  We  reached  B.  at  8  P.M.,  where  we  took  mother  earth  for  a  couch 
with  a  rubber  blanket  under  and  a  woolen  over;  of  course  slept  sound,  woke 
in  the  morning  rather  stiff ;  during  the  whole  tramp  did  not  stop  in  one  place 
but  twice,  only  for  a  day;  we  have  got  so  now  we  can  stand  quite  a  tramp, 
they  say  we  look  like  "old  soldiers."  I  have  nothing  but  what  I  have  on 
my  back,  except  rubber  and  wool  blankets.  We  were  for  a  while  all  split 
up  into  different  batteries  in  the  "Reserve  Artillery."  George  Bricket  was 
detailed  into  the  5th  Regular.  It  left  us  at  Berlin,  was  put  on  the  cars  and 
started  for  N.  Y.  to  help  put  down  the  riot,  seventeen  others  are  in  the  same 
battery;  those  from  other  batteries  have  all  been  recalled  and  are  doing  duty 
in  the  Co.,  the  rest  of  the  Co.  were  guard  for  Genl.  Tyler  (high  position  for 
a  battalion  of  Mass.  14th  H.  A. !)  I  can  assure  you  it  cut  the  Major  badly; 
he  was  down  on  us  probably  for  the  game  Col.  Green  played  on  him.  He 
was  drunk  one  quarter  of  the  time,  and  when  he  is  in  that  condition  he 
comes  down  on  the  men  hard,  ties  them  to  wheels  and  trees,  fences,  or  any 
thing  he  can  come  across;  it  is  shameful  for  a  Genl.  Comdg.  over  200  pieces 
to  do  so.  Genl.  Meade  gave  him  a  jawing  one  day  before  the  whole  of  us, 
for  cutting  up  Genl.  Kilpatrick's  train;  it  was  the  second  offence  and  when 
we  left,  heard  that  he  was  under  arrest.  We  also  saw  Genl.  Pleasanton  with 
Genl.  Meade.  The  men  in  the  co.  are  glad  to  see  men  drafted  at  home;  but 
wish  $300  would  not  clear  them;  but  then  this  is  a  rich  man's  war;  the  poor 
man  has  to  do  the  fighting.  We  have  been  kicked  about  so  long  that  no  one 
knows  what  we  are. 

Lieut.  Hervy  has  gone  to  Washington  to  try  and  get  us  back  to  the  regi- 
ment. I  hope  he  will  succeed,  most  of  the  men  want  to  go  back,  officers  of 
course  want  to.  The  papers  have  just  come,  the  news  is  what  you  might 
call  "Bully ."  The  cloud  has  passed  over  and  things  are  looking  more  fa- 
vorable. I  for  one  would  like  to  see  this  closed  before  winter.  It  greatly 
depends  on  Genl.  Meade 's  abilities.  As  we  stand  a  chance  of  going  to  Wash- 

[29] 


ington,  you  better  direct  there.    We  have  travelled  in  all  between  150  and 
175  miles;  good  for  new  beginners? 

Much  love  to  all.    Hoping  this  will  find  you  well  and  enjoying  things  as 
they  come,  I  remain,  Yours  truly, 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  Aug.  2,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Yours  of  July  20th  and  27th  arrived,  the  first  we  have  had  for  a  great 
while.  We  are  enjoying  the  comforts  of  the  old  place  on  the  Heights.  At 
first  it  seemed  lonesome,  after  travelling  about  as  we  had;  another  thing, 
the  place  was  full  of  filth,  the  two  regts.  our  Co.  relieved,  were  the  filthiest 
set  of  men  I  ever  saw,  that  is  if  the  neatness  of  their  camp  would  be  a  proper 
thing  to  judge  by.  They  tore  bunks  in  barracks  and  built  huts  out  doors. 
We  are  now  alone  by  our  selves,  shall  get  things  to  looking  as  they  did  be- 
fore, if  work  will  do  it.  We  did  not  go  to  Washington,  neither  did  I  want  to 
go,  Major  R.  was  appointed  for  this  post.  He  went  to  Washington  to  fill  an 
order  for  guns  and  amunition;  while  there  he  saw  Genl.  Halleck,  he  said 
that  he  had  decided  to  keep  this  Batt.  here,  so  we  took  our  old  places.  We 
have  now  four  24  pdrs.  Brass  Howtz.  and  two  30  prd.  parrotts.  Killed  a 
man  yesterday,  getting  up  one  of  the  latter;  he  belonged  in  Co.  H.  John  B. 
is  dead,  he  died  while  in  N.  Y. ;  he  was  one  of  the  men  detailed  in  the  5th 
IT.  S.  Art'y.  Geo.  Bricket  is  in  the  same  Battery,  we  expect  them  back  every 
day.  There  will  be  no  need  of  your  getting  a  map,  we  shall  probably  stop 
here  the  rest  of  our  enlistment,  unless  we  are  put  off.  (It  is  well  enough  to 
put  in.)  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  this  battalion  when  it  first  got  back, 
rather  a  rough  looking  set ;  after  eating  so  much  salt  pork  and  the  hot  days 
with  it,  a  fellow  would  sweat  well;  when  I  wiped  my  face  it  was  covered 
with  nothing  but  pork  and  grease.  Of  course  I  looked  clean  when  we  came 
to  a  halt  for  the  night !  but  then  it  did  not  hinder  our  sleeping.  How  differ- 
ent the  affairs  of  the  country  look  now  from  what  they  did  a  month  ago. 
Lee  defeated  in  Penn.,  Pemberton  at  Vicksburg,  Gardner  at  Port  Hudson 
and  Bragg  in  Miss.  I  can  assure  you  it  has  wrought  a  new  feeling  in  the 
men ;  before  all  was  defeat,  but  now  it  is  victory.  It  pleases  the  men  to  see 
some  of  the  men  who  were  drafted ;  you  may  talk  about  its  being  a  disgrace 
to  be  drafted,  I  say  good  enough  for  them ;  they  would  make  a  great  fuss 
if  Uncle  Sam  did  not  protect  them  and  now  they  haven't  got  courage  to  help 
him.  These  men  of  course  cannot  think  much  of  their  country.  Captain, 
you  are  not  forgotten  yet;  many  times  a  day,  you  are  spoken  of.  This  is 
what  D.  W.  got  off  where  Capt.  H.  heard  him.  "  Pity  we  haven't  got  one 
of  Bradley's  old  coats,  in  place  of  our  commander  now."  On  evacuating  this 
place,  I  lost  everything,  now  I  want  you  to  get  up  something  and  send  to  me. 
I  thought  for  shirts  you  might  get  some  cotton  ones,  such  as  you  used  to 
make  when  I  was  small,  chequered  ones,  cut  like  a  wool  shirt.  I  think  they 

[30] 


would  do  best  over  the  old  flannel  ones  I  ana  now  picking  up;  but  if  you 
think  best  to  get  flannel  ones,  do  so.  Be  sure  and  get  flaps  long  enough. 
Another  thing,  I  want  stockings ;  the  boots  you  sent  last  fall  I  have  on  now, 
but  the  tramp  has  played  them  out,  got  about  ten  holes  in  each.  Do  you 
think  best  to  get  a  new  pair  now,  or  wait  till  Nov.  ?  or  won't  it  pay  at  all  ? 
Can  get  them  here  for  $6,  but  poor  ones.  Shoes,  $3.50.  I  must  have  some- 
thing to  my  feet  soon,  so  write  in  next  what  you  think  best  to  do.  I  will  see 
what  Jerry  wants  and  let  you  know.  Dont  fail  to  make  some  kind  of  an 
answer,  so  I  shall  know  what  to  do.  Army  clothing  of  the  above  named 
articles  are  very  poor  and  high.  Shirts  $1.46  and  are  good  for  nothing. 
Much  love  to  all.  Your 

LEV. 

MD.  HEIGHTS,  Aug.  9,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

The  old  place  really  looks  natural  now  we  got  it  cleaned  up.  The  men 
in  the  company  are  having  a  general  run  of  sickness,  a  great  many  have  been 
sick  since  we  came  back.  Jere  has  been  a  little  unwell  for  the  past  day  or  so 
and  I  myself  feel  a  little  indisposed.  Since  we  came  back  I  have  had  all  the 
writing  that  I  could  possibly  do,  besides  taking  hold  and  fixing  up  the  bunk 
and  barrack.  A  great  many  of  the  guns  on  the  mountain  are  being  changed, 
the  men  have  had  to  work  very  hard  changing  them.  It  took  them  one  night 
and  two  days  to  get  the  100  pdr.  up.  Charleston  S.  C.  seems  to  draw  the 
attention  of  all,  no  doubt  we  shall  get  it  in  time.  I  like  the  way  Genl.  Gil- 
more  and  Admiral  Dalgreen  go  at  the  work.  They  seem  to  be  determined 
to  get  the  place  and  have  all  the  honor  to  themselves.  The  army  of  the  Po- 
tomac has  got  back  very  near  its  old  camping  ground.  We  have  all  sorts  of 
rumors  about  moving.  I  believe  none,  till  we  get  orders.  I  think  I  should 
like  to  go  S.  C.  for  the  sake  of  seeing  the  country,  but  there  is  no  possibility 
of  our  going.  Captain,  do  you  ever  think  of  coming  out  here  again  ?  This 
is  a  pretty  place  and  the  scenery  fine.  The  whole  of  you  could  come  out ;  it 
would  repay  you  for  your  trouble  and  expense.  They  are  giving  ten  days 
furloughs  now,  any  one  can  get  them;  but  it  hardly  pays*  only  ten  days! 
They  are  getting  up  a  2nd.  H.  A.  regt.  in  Mass,  are  they  not  ?  I  understand 
Lt.  Hoppin  has  got  a  1st  Lieut,  position  in  it.  I  presume,  no  chance  for  any 
one  else.  I  might  have  had  a  strap  by  this  time! 

Hoping  all  are  well,  I  remain  Your 

LEV. 

MD.  HEIGHTS,  Sept.  6,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Yours  rec'd  and  contents  noted.  Glad  to  hear  of  your  good  health. 
Lieut.  F.  said  you  were  looking  well.  Rec'd  shirts  by  corp'l  Frye.  I  wore 
them  three  days  and  was  obliged  to  take  them  off  or  pass  for  a  black  man. 

[31] 


The  black  came  off  in  profusion.  It  took  nearly  half  a  day  to  wash  it  off 
my  body.  I  would  really  like  to  hear  that  piano.  I  presume  it  would  sound 
very  unnatural,  as  I  never  heard  one  in  the  old  house,  and  I  believe  I  have 
not  heard  one  since  I  have  been  out  here.  I  often  think  does  the  poor  old 
pear  tree  bear  well  this  year  ?  I  used  to  think  it  was  the  nicest  fruit  on  the 
farm. 

I  got  a  pass  Friday,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  all  the  information  I 
could  in  regard  to  growing  tobacco,  as  that  was  your  desire.  After  about 
an  hours  work  in  getting  through  the  chopped  down  trees  (to  stop  the  rebs) 
I  at  length  reached  the  valley.  I  asked  one  of  the  assistants  about  it  and  he 
referred  me  to  an  old  negro,  who  had  grown  tons  of  it  in  his  day;  but  by  his 
looks,  should  think  he  had  done  about  all  the  work  he  could  do.  And  now, 
if  the  reader  will  give  me  his  entire  attention  for  a  few  moments  I  will  ex- 
plain all.  (How  does  that  sound  ?)  A  side  hill  or  slope  where  the  sun  shines 
most  of  the  day  is  preferable,  new  ground  is  the  best ;  burn  bush  over  the 
ground,  in  order  to  kill  the  weeds ;  then  grub  up  the  ground,  working  in 
ashes,  "the  more  the  better;"  rake  the  ground  up  fine  and  then  sow  the 
tobacco,  raking  it  well.  After  raking  and  cross  raking  and  rolling  (as  you 
do  most  of  your  land),  I  suppose  that  the  tobacco  would  grow  well.  It 
neither  needs  wet  not  dry  soil,  but  about  the  common  soil.  It  greatly  de- 
pends on  the  season,  about  the  last  of  march  is  the  time  for  planting  in  this 
section ;  it  is  sown  the  same  as  grass  seed,  only  not  so  thick.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  use  manure. 

The  heavens  are  assuming  a  dark  and  cloudy  aspect,  and  the  low  thun- 
der rumbling  in  the  distance,  from  the  Alleganies,  gives  tokens  of  a  refresh- 
ing shower.  It  is  a  beautiful  sight  to  see  from  this  point  the  wind  and  rain 
come  rushing  down  the  valley,  seeming  to  the  looker  on  as  if  he  were  above 
them  all.  Since  we  have  been  here  I  have  seen  a  thunder  shower  below  me 
in  the  valley. 

Hoping  this  will  find  you  all  well,  I  remain  &c. 

LEV. 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  Sept.  25,  1863. 
Dear  Mother: 

Please  find  enclosed  $100  and  forward  $45  to  Uncle  F.  from  Geo.,  being 
four  month's  pay.  Credit  me  with  $35  and  Jerry  $20.  Practiced  with  our 
battery  yesterday;  fired  12  shots  from  30  pdr  Parrott.  Range  was  over  3f 
miles.  They  are  splendid  pieces.  Co.  H  fired  the  100  pdr  last  week;  fired 
5  miles,  went  through  a  small  hill  ricochet  from  there  about  3  miles.  I  look 
to  Rosecrans'  army  for  great  successes. 

I  remain,  Very  respectfully  yours 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

Mrs.  Leverett  Bradley,  Co.  B  14th  Mass.  (H.  A.) 

Bradley  Farm,  Methuen,  Mass. 

[32] 


MD.  HEIGHTS,  Oct.  4,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Rec'd  yours.  Contents  noted.  Glad  to  hear  you  are  well,  hope  this  will 
find  you  in  good  condition;  yours  found  us  well.  Only  think,  nine  (9)  more 
months  only  and  our  time  will  be  out;  every  day  is  counted  and  deducted 
from  the  original.  After  my  time  is  out  here  I  intend  to  enlist  in  the  Home 
Guards.  I  forgot  the  letter  yesterday  and  hope  you  will  not  be  worried  be- 
cause it  does  not  reach  sooner.  Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  two  corps  of 
the  army  of  the  potomac  going  to  reinforce  Rosecrans  ?  They  went  by  this 
rout.  How  would  you  treat  a  fellow  if  he  should  get  home  about  Thanks- 
giving time  ?  Well,  I  suppose.  Yesterday  was  occupied  in  getting  the  men 
to  sign  the  clothing  rolls  and  books.  Got  through  with  it  first  rate.  Last 
night  was  terribly  cold,  slept  about  four  hours  and  during  that  time  was  in 
a  double  bow  knot.  Went  to  a  dance  at  Sandy  Hook  the  other  night,  had  a 
fine  time;  the  girls  are  very  agreeable  although  they  are  Marylanders. 

Much  love  to  all.  I  remain, 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 
Co.  B  1st  Mass.  H.  A. 

P.  S.    Will  try  and  write  more  next  time.    The  box  has  not  come. 

HOWTZ.  BATTERY,  MD.  HEIGHTS,  Oct.  18,  1863. 
Dear  Friends: 

Yours  rec'd.  Today  has  been  an  exciting  one  to  us,  there  has  been  a 
big  engagement  ten  miles  from  here;  we  have  driven  the  rebs  nearly  ten 
miles  towards  Berryville,  have  been  at  it  all  day,  and  now  I  can  hear  the 
roar  of  the  artillery;  we  are  making  every  thing  to  resist  the  rebels.  We  may 
have  a  chance  to  show  the  "  Johnnies"  what  we  are  made  of.  At  last  ac- 
counts, Meade  was  slowly  working  this  way,  covering  Washington  during 
the  march ;  should  not  be  surprised  to  see  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  any 
time.  In  the  late  movements  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  considerable 
stratergy  was  used ;  so  far,  we  have  got  the  best  of  it.  I  have  no  doubt  Lee 
contemplates  making  another  raid  into  Md.  and  Penn.  I  think  the  move- 
ment the  rebels  are  making  here  now  is  to  destroy  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
R.  R.  We  have  got  a  new  Genl.  now,  his  name  is  Sullivan,  formerly  with 
Genl.  Grant  as  inspector  Genl.;  marched  in  to  Vicksburg  July  4th;  he  is  a 
fine  looking  man  and  a  son  in  law  of  Genl  Kelly,  who  commanded  here  be- 
fore the  evacuation.  There  has  been  a  lull  in  the  battle  for  some  time;  but 
now  the  ball  has  opened  again  in  good  earnest.  But  they  are  working  from 
us  fast.  We  saved  Frank's  phiz  during  the  other  march  and  shall  try  to,  if 
we  have  to  march  again.  The  men  have  all  gone  out  to  work  on  the  battery. 
This  will  probably  stop  all  furloughs,  so  shall  not  get  mine. 

Monday. 

Nothing  new.  Some  say  it  is  the  advance  of  Lee's  army,  others  that  the 
guerillas,  combined,  are  trying  to  call  us  out  and  let  Lee  in.  LEV. 

[33] 


HOWTZ.  BATTERY,  MD.  HEIGHTS,  Nov.  15,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

Yours  found  us  well  and  enjoying  ourselves  to  the  best  advantage.  Yes- 
terday the  wind  was  very  boisterous  and  strong,  beating  the  water  through 
the  mud  on  the  barracks  and  wetting  things  inside. 

We  have  just  started  a  barrack  or  dance  hall,  forty  feet  long  by  fourteen 
wide;  are  anticipating  great  times  as  soon  as  we  get  it  finished.  It  is  a  big 
project  as  boards  are  very  scarce,  expect  to  have  to  send  to  Williamsport 
Md.  for  them ;  it  is  a  company  concern  and  have  got  nearly  $75  subscribed 
already. 

George,  I  should  like  to  go  to  the  singing  school  with  you;  don't  know 
as  it  would  be  very  good,  but  then  of  course  any  one  expects  a  little  fun  at 
such  places.  Re-enlistment  papers  are  expected  every  day.  If  matters  go 
on  as  they  have  for  the  last  month  or  so,  I  think  it  is  a  poor  inducement  to 
enlist.  News  is  not  very  brilliant;  but  from  what  we  can  hear,  there  is  a 
general  forward  movement  the  whole  line.  The  way  things  are  now,  a 
man  would  not  like  to  be  taken  prisoner;  they  are  trying  their  best  to  starve 
them,  and  so  far  have  been  very  successful.  The  evenings  are  beginning  to 
be  quite  long  and  we  pass  them  off  very  agreeably  by  getting  a  negro  in  and 
getting  him  to  dancing;  he  is  sure  to  go  as  long  as  the  music  lasts,  we  have 
a  great  deal  of  sport  with  them. 

Much  love  to  all. 


HOWTZ.  BATTERY,  MD.  HEIGHTS,  Nov.  21,  1863. 
Dear  Family: 

I  am  in  receipt  of  yours.  Glad  to  hear  of  your  continued  good  health.  It 
has  been  raining  all  day,  so  the  boys  for  enjoyment  all  flock  to  our  barrack, 
where  they  have  dancing  and  music  &c.  and  by  great  exertion  have  passed 
so  much  of  the  day  off.  I  improve  this  opportunity  to  answer  my  weekly 
epistle.  You  seem  to  feel  a  great  deal  of  anxiety  about  our,  or  I  might  say, 
my  re-enlisting.  Now,  you  don't  want  that  little  (now  ordinary  sized)  fel- 
low at  home,  that  used  to,  in  days  gone  by,  do  all  the  mischief  and  gener- 
ally get  all  the  blame  for  it!  That  is  all  I  will  say,  but  wait  and  see  what 
kind  of  an  answer  I  get.  But  to  relieve  your  minds  on  this  important  point, 
I  will  say,  so  far,  not  a  man  of  Co.  B  has  re-enlisted,  and  the  reason  is,  no 
one  has  been  here  to  re-enlist  them.  And  as  for  the  future,  you  need  not 
worry  at  all  about  either  of  us.  In  one  sense  of  the  word,  every  man  ought 
to  re-enlist;  the  country  is  in  great  need  of  men.  A  man  that  has  any  pa- 
triotism in  him  ought  to  do  it  and  money  shall  be  no  object.  But  as  for  me, 
I  feel  that  I  have  risked  myself  through  one  three  years,  and  I  will  wait  un- 
til every  able  bodied  man  does  the  same  before  trying  it  again.  Sometimes 
I  feel  sad  to  think  that  I  could  not  visit  home  this  coming  Thanksgiving, 
and  then  again  I  think  there  was  no  need  (sickness)  of  going  and  I  am  glad 
I  did  not  go.  The  fact  is  we  are  enjoying  ourselves  now  very  well  and  time 

[34] 


passes  so  rapidly,  it  seems  as  if  it  were  but  a  little  while  longer  to  stop.  I 
shall  endeavor  to  enjoy  myself  here  but  hope  you  will  there.  We  have 
signed  the  pay  rolls  and  have  been  expecting,  for  two  days  past.  I  shall 
have  to  close  here,  so  as  to  get  things  ready  for  the  pay-master  to  pay  more 
rapidly,  as  it  is  raining  outside. 

Monday,  23rd. 

We  were  paid  off  Sat.;  all  went  off  smoothly.  The  furloughed  men 
started  for  home  at  2  o'clk.  this  morning,  just  the  right  time!  I  think  they 
ought  to  enjoy  themselves  and  probably  will.  The  box  if  it  has  not  been 
sent  need  not  come  till  Christmas.  They  cost  too  much  to  send  often. 
George  says  he  expects  his  father  (uncle  Frank)  out  here  this  week;  will 
wait  and  send  my  money  by  him,  which  will  save  a  little.  LEV. 


FORT  WHIPPLE,  VA.,  Dec.  IS,  1863. 
Dear  Father: 

Yours  of  Sunday  last  was  rec'd  in  due  time.  Also  started  off  directly 
to  dun;  saw  Capt.  Andrew;  he  said  that  there  was  about  $130.00  that  he 
had  not  collected  from  the  mess,  but  would  wait  until  next  pay  day  and  see 
if  he  could  get  it,  and  if  not  take  it  from  his  own  pocket.  As  for  Capt. 
Hosmer,  I  know  where  he  is,  being  at.  Washington  with  the  position  of 
Asst.  Judge  Advocate  Genl.  Now  I  can  hardly  summon  the  pluck  to  dun 
him,  being  in  that  position,  so  I  think  it  would  be  better  to  wait  until  some 
further  day  and  if  any  opportunity  offers  I  will  improve  it. 

We  are  beginning  to  get  acquainted  with  fancy  soldiering  now ;  all  have 
to  come  out  in  gloves,  being  furnished  the  first  time  and  having  to  supply 
yourself  the  next.  It  makes  a  great  difference  with  the  looks  of  the  men. 
Uncle  Frank  Bricket  called  over  today.  I  asked  him  what  the  prospect 
was  of  our  ever  owning  Bradley  Farm ;  he  told  me  (as  no  doubt  he  has  told 
you  before).  It  really  seems  to  me  that  something  ought  to  be  done.  There 
has  been  money  spent  on  the  place,  if  that  is  all  it  wants,  but  it  seems  to 
me  we  are  no  nearer  the  end  we  are  after.  Uncle  Frank  spoke  of  a  farm  up 
in  Hampstead.  How  did  you  like  it;  presume  you  would  not  like  to  swap  ? 
We  are  very  much  attached  to  the  old  place,  all  of  us ;  but  that  should  not 
hinder  us  from  leaving  it  if  we  can  do  better  some  where  else  and  especially 
when  in  the  condition  we  are.  I  should  consider  that  a  very  cheap  price 
for  a  farm  (I  mean  the  one  he  showed  you)  if  as  good  as  he  says  it  is.  I  do 
almost  feel  that  the  old  farm  will  never  amount  to  any  thing.  It  wants  ma- 
king all  over  new  and  that  is  a  very  hard  task.  I  should  think  you  would 
be  discouraged  after  spending  nearly  all  your  years  so  far  on  it  and  not 
coming  out  better;  but  it  shows  the  Bradleys  never  have  that  failing.  How 
much  is  the  debt  now  and  what  interest  do  you  have  to  pay  ?  I  suppose  it 
takes  all  you  have  to  pay  the  interest  ?  How  does  George  feel  about  leav- 
ing it  and  the  rest  of  them  ?  Don't  want  to,  I  '11  bet!  Write  all  particulars 
and  let  me  know  about  it  for  once ;  you  know  you  never  were  much  for  tell- 

[35] 


ing  your  business  matters  to  the  rest  of  the  family,  and  besides  it  is  right  I 
should  know.  They  all  say  that  I  am  my  own  master  now,  but  I  do  not  ask 
that  privilege  yet,  whether  or  no  I  have  a  right  to  claim  it.  So  far  20  have 
re-enlisted  and  I  guess  that  is  all  that  will.  Shall  send  $20  home  by  uncle 
Frank,  part  or  nearly  all  of  which  is  Jerry's.  Things  are  awfully  high  at 
the  present  time.  Love  to  all.  I  remain,  &c. 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 
Co.  B.  1st  Mass.  H.  Arty. 
To  L.  Bradley,  Esq. 

[His  claim  as  a  veteran  made  him  and  others  consider  him  "of  age."- 
ED.] 

FORT  WHIPPLE,  VA.,  Dec.  24,  1863. 
Dear  Father: 

Yours  of  Sunday  last  was  perused  with  great  care  and  contents  noted. 
You  wanted  to  know  my  mind  about  matters !  I  should  make  a  very  poor 
judge,  as  I  do  not  know  how  things  look  now.  But  I  should  say  stick  to  it, 
if  there  is  any  chance  at  all,  because  we  have  put  already  work  enough  into 
it  to  make  three  farms.  I  know  nothing  out  this  way  for  you  to  do.  About 
being  discharged ;  when  the  regiment  is  to  be  has  not  been  decided  yet ;  some 
of  the  recruits  have  written  Gov.  Andrew  and  he  says  that  they  "will  be 
discharged  with  the  rest,"  so  I  take  it  for  granted  we  shall  be.  As  to  the 
matter  of  a  choice  of  regiments  when  re-enlisting  ?  If  I  understand  it  right, 
a  man  can  choose,  provided  the  reg't  he  is  in  is  not  kept  up,  and  the  reg't 
he  chooses  is  not  full;  but  it  must  be  a  reg't  from  the  state  he  belongs  to. 
He  must  also  keep  in  the  old  reg't  until  its  three  years  are  up  and  then  they 
have  the  choice.  Write  me  what  your  intentions  are  of  doing,  as  soon  as 
warm  weather  comes. 

Do  you  have  rheumatism  to  trouble  you  again  ?  Last  night  I  slept  ter- 
ribly cold.  The  barracks  are  not  as  good  as  a  barn,  boards  only  one  inch 
thick  and  layed  on  like  clapboards ;  besides  the  barracks  are  on  piles  about 
four  feet  long,  so  as  to  give  a  clean  sweep  underneath. 

They  are  very  strict  about  the  barracks,  will  allow  no  shelves  or  any- 
thing of  that  kind.  The  bunks  are  all  moveable.  In  fact  everything  has  a 
place  here.  Shall  begin  on  muster  rolls  tomorrow.  Yours  &c. 

LEV. 


FORT  WHIPPLE,  VA.,  Jan.  10,  1864. 
Dear  Friends: 

Yours  of  last  Sabbath  duly  rec'd  found  us  well.  We  have  been  having 
very  cold  weather,  but  Jerry  and  I  have  got  straw  now  and  sleep  very  com- 
fortably, and  as  that  is  one  of  the  most  essential  duties  of  a  soldier,  and 
among  them  all  the  one  he  likes  best,  I  guess  that  we  shall,  if  divine  provi- 

[36] 


dence  favors  us,  this  winter.  Have  been  trying  every  opportunity  to  get 
over  to  Corbets  but  as  yet  have  not  succeeded;  he  lives  the  other  side  of 
the  line  of  rifle  pits,  and  in  order  to  visit  him  I  shall  have  to  obtain  a  pass 
from  Brigade  Head  Quarters.  Will  certainly  seize  the  first  opportunity. 
It  is  not  very  comfortable  writing  this,  they  are  beating  "tattoo"  right  un- 
der the  window,  and  they  are  soul  stirring  strains;  but  then  I  don't  fancy 
them.  I  expect  Jerry  has  written  a  long  letter  and  as  I  get  enough  of  that 
business  just  this  time  of  the  year,  you  will  please  excuse  this  abrupt  leav- 
ing off.  We  only  have  an  hour  between  "tattoo"  and  "taps."  Much  love 
to  all.  Good-night.  From 

LEV. 

DIARY  AND  MEMORANDA,  1864 

FORT  WHIPPLE,  Jan.  7,  1864. 

This  little  book  was  obtained  by  the  earnest  wish  of  my  Mother,  who 
desired  I  should  keep  a  record  of  events  that  transpire,  during  the  new  year 
we  have  just  entered.  LEV. 

Jan.  1st.  A  new  year  has  commenced  and  before  its  close  I  hope  peace 
may  be  restored  to  our  country.  And  all  be  restored  to  their  peaceful  homes. 

Jan.  3rd.  Attended  divine  service  in  the  bomb  proof  this  afternoon. 
Sermon  discourse  from  James  4th,  14th  verse.  Had  singing  by  the  audi- 
ence, and  music  from  the  band  (America). 

Jan.  7th.  No  new  army  movements.  Reports  say  they  have  gone  into 
winter  quarters.  Two  months  ago  the  "Astor  House"  dissolved  itself! 
passed  the  day  reading  "Under  the  Spell." 

Jan.  8th.  The  Potomac  has  frozen  over,  consequently  un-navigable. 
Today  is  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 

The  Co  rec'd  22  recruits,  none  that  I  knew.  Steamers  passed  down  the 
river  today;  but  it  was  hard  work. 

Jan.  llth.  No  news  of  importance.  There  was  a  grand  dinner  given 
at  the  Fort  by  Genl.  Barnard  to  his  friends.  If  I  could  judge  by  their 
faces,  should  say  they  had  a  good  time.  I  issued  clothing  today,  and  got 
through  it  very  well. 

Jan.  12th.  Major  Cole  whipped  the  guerilla  Mosely  in  the  Shenandoah 
valley.  Have  worked  all  day  copying  orders.  Saw  a  palmetto  leaf  for  the 
first  time. 

Jan.  14th.  Gillmore  is  still  knocking  at  the  gates  of  Charleston.  Jere 
went  to  the  city  today.  The  first  lot  of  Vet.  Vol.  on  furlough  have  returned 
today;  most  all  have  seen  father  and  say  he  is  looking  well. 

Jan.  16th.  Were  inspected  by  Major  R.  today.  Any  amount  of  growl- 
ing, mud  knee  deep.  Expect  to  be  inspected  again  tomorrow.  Vets  are  be- 
ginning to  resign  to  their  fate.  Some  thoughts  of  re-enlisting. 

Jan.  17th.    Copied  barrack  rules.    There  are  skaters  on  the  river. 

Jan.  20th.    Rec'd  a  lot  of  letters;  getting  to  have  lots  of  correspondents, 

[37] 


must  appreciate  my  letters.  Of  course  I  do  my  best;  but  I  think  they  are 
dry.  Lieut  C.  has  any  amount,  he  is  a  fine  fellow. 

Jan.  21st.  Several  of  the  non-commissioned  officers  have  asked  to  be 
reduced  to  the  ranks.  Col.  T.  is  issuing  orders  by  the  bushel,  very  unpop- 
ular at  the  present  time.  Have  got  to  come  out  on  parade  in  the  future. 

Jan.  22nd.  Quite  a  hubbub  kicked  up  in  the  Co.  amongst  the  non- 
coms.  ;  five  are  now  in  the  guard  house  and  one  in  arrest,  grand  chance  for 
promotion.  I  have  been  making  out  charges  and  specifications  all  the  eve- 
ning against  the  non-coms.  They  will  be  tried  by  a  genl.  court  martial. 

Jan.  23rd.  Drew  rations  today.  G n  is  in  the  guard  house.  I  have 

just  returned  from  the  Arlington  House;  heard  some  guitar  playing  that 
was  enough  to  put  me  above  the  clouds. 

Jan.  2J^th.  Beautiful  evening.  Makes  one  think  of  home  when  he  goes 
out  to  take  a  walk. 

Jan.  25th.  All  the  non-coms  returned  to  duty  today.  I  am  at  work  on 
"  Clothing  book,"  copying  from  old  book  to  a  new  one. 

Jan.  26th.  A  beautiful  evening,  the  moon  is  shining  brightly  and  the 
Potomac  is  all  aglow.  The  capitol  of  our  nation  looks  magnificent  in  its 
rays,  and  to  cap  it  all,  the  Goddess  of  Liberty  smiles  on  the  scene  (poetic !) 

Jan.  28th.  Have  been  preparing  all  day  for  inspection  which  comes  off 
tomorrow.  Played  four  games  of  chess  for  the  first  time. 

Jan.  29th.  Inspection  passed  off  well  on  the  part  of  the  men;  but  the 
officers  lacked  a  little  knowledge  in  the  infantry  drill. 

Jan.  30th.  Had  a  parade  this  eveg.  in  a  heavy  mist;  the  guns  are  look- 
ing too  well  to  keep  dry! 

Jan.  31st.  A  very  unpleasant  day.  Of  course  did  not  prevent  inspec- 
tion and  parade.  Have  been  writing  ever  since  supper  time  on  Monthly 
returns,  furloughs,  &c. 

Feb.  1st.  Quite  a  change  in  the  Brigade  Staff.  Col.  T.  has  sent  them 
all  to  their  companies,  having  found  that  they  were  working  a  plot.  Some 
think  in  the  end  that  the  officers  will  get  the  best  of  it. 

Feb.  3rd.  Went  to  the  Washington  theatre  last  night.  Miss  Keene 
played  "  She  stoops  to  conquer."  It  was  a  laughable  affair.  She  did  look 
splendidly  arrayed  in  all  her  beauty,  before  the  foot  lights,  a  splendid  form ; 
but  paint  was  too  profuse,  I  would  rather  have  seen  her  natural  complex  - 
tion. 

Feb.  12th.  A  rumor  has  been  circulated  that  we  are  going  to  Texas.  I 
hope  it  is  true,  as  I  have  a  great  desire  to  see  that  part  of  the  country. 

Feb.  13th.  Had  a  close  inspection  by  Col.  T.  Did  not  give  any  com- 
panies much  praise.  Carried  a  knapsack  all  the  time,  a  very  pretty  and  use- 
ful article  for  a  soldier. 

Feb.  14th.  Took  a  walk  today  and  visited  Forts  Craig  and  Albany,  also 
hospital  and  saw  Geo.  Frye  [cousin] ;  he  has  had  a  rough  time  of  it. 

Feb.  15th.  Our  going  to  Texas  is  played  out,  the  2nd.  Conn,  is  going. 
Got  a  pipe  tonight  drawn  by  a  lottery  ticket. 

[38] 


Feb.  22nd.  A  rumor,  viz.  Genl.  Sherman  has  taken  1200  prisoners  and 
is  now  marching  on  Mobile. 

Feb.  23rd.  The  pay  master  visited  us  and  gave  us  our  XXVI.  for  two 
months  hard  labor.  The  officers  had  a  big  time  at  Lt.  Col.  W's  place  last 
night;  some  of  them  (I  should  judge  by  their  manners)  had  touched  the  cup. 

Feb.  24th.  Had  a  horse  back  ride  in  the  morning.  In  the  evening,  went 
to  Grover's  theatre  [Washington,  D.  C.].  Edwin  Booth  took  the  part  of  Ruy 
Bias.  The  house  cheered  him  several  timesr  it  was  the  first  time  that  I  ever 
saw  him.  I  liked  him  very  much,  he  made  a  slave  of  me.  I  would  speak 
of  the  female  portion;  but  they  had  such  large  mouths  there  is  not  room 
here  to  put  them  in.  No  reliable  news  from  Genl.  Sherman;  but  he  is  still 
on  the  move.  Longstreet  is  retreating  from  the  front  of  Knoxville.  Went 
to  the  theatre.  The  play  was  Brutus.  I  liked  it  much;  it  made  some  of 
the  women  cry.  He  makes  me  his  captive. 

March  3rd.  Have  felt  a  little  indisposed  all  day;  but  before  dark  sum- 
moned courage  to  visit  the  Grovers' theatre.  The  play  was  "Othello."  I 
did  not  get  very  interested  in  the  piece,  doubtless  on  account  of  Booth  not 
taking  the  part  of  Othello.  It  was  sustained  by  all  the  actors. 

Mar.  5th.  Heard  from  Genl.  Kilpatrick,  who  has  been  making  a  raid 
on  Richmond;  it  is  acknowledged  a  bold  affair  by  the  southern  press.  Ab- 
sent from  inspection;  rec'd  my  deserts  for  it. 

Mar.  12th.  Camp  life  begins  to  look  like  a  dull  affair;  am  not  so  anxious 
to  come  out  with  my  pretty  gun  as  at  first.  Have  just  come  in  from  parade, 
have  eaten  supper  and  now  my  thoughts  wander  to  friends  and  relatives  at 
home  and  the  good  times  I  used  to  have.  It  would  be  impossible  to  count 
the  number  of  times  that  my  mind  turns  toward  it  during  the  day,  still  I 
am  contented. 

Mar.  21st.  On  account  of  slight  illness  I  have  been  unable  to  keep  my 
book.  On  the  16th,  Co.  B  moved  to  Fort  Woodbury.  I  like  it  very  well. 
Col.  T.  is  trying  to  get  the  reg't  into  the  field  as  Light  Infantry;  I  hope 
he  will  succeed.  I  intend  to  re-enlist  tomorrow. 

Mar.  25th.  I  am  a  Veteran  Volunteer  and  of  course  stuck  for  three  years 
more!  Going  over  after  bounty  and  pay  tomorrow.  Do  not  intend  to  take 
my  furlough  till  May.  Three  years  more  seems  a  long  time  but  guess  I 
am  good  for  it. 

Mar.  31st.  It  is  just  a  week  ago  that  I  took  the  oath  to  stand  by  the 
flag  three  years  more.  Have  had  quite  a  correspondance  from  home;  I 
guess  they  are  not  dissatisfied. 

Apr.  5th.  Went  to  the  theatre  on  Monday,  where  Edwin  Forrest  was 
playing  Macbeth.  It  was  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  him.  It  was  splendid. 
I  must  say  there  is  a  charm  in  tragedy  that  captivates  me. 

May  7th.    Arriv'd  home  on  vet.  furlough. 

May  19th.  (At  home)  The  1st  Mass.  H.  A.  in  action.  Co.  B  lost  more 
than  any  company  in  the  Regiment  [53  killed  and  wounded].  George 
Bricket  was  killed. 


[Up  to  this  time,  besides  his  duty  as  private  in  the  ranks,  he  had  also 
been  serving  as  company  clerk.  He  was  at  home  on  a  veteran's  furlough  in 
May,  1864,  when  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  join  the  advance  of  the  whole 
army  under  Grant,  and  he  was  obliged  to  read  in  the  papers  of  the  terrible 
loss  it  sustained  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  on  May  19th,  where,  in  the 
afternoon,  while  repulsing  Ewell's  corps,  the  regiment  lost  in  one  short 
hour  898  men.  His  own  Company,  B,  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  over  half 
of  their  entire  number.  In  this  battle  his  cousin  George  Wellington  Brickett, 
of  Company  B,  was  instantly  killed  in  the  first  charge  made  on  the  enemy, 
and  another  cousin,  Asa  Frye,  was  wounded.  Fortunately,  his  brother, 
also  a  member  of  the  company,  but  acting  at  the  time  as  regimental  bugler, 
escaped  uninjured. 

With  these  terrible  facts  before  him,  it  required  a  great  deal  of  courage 
to  leave  home  to  join  the  regiment,  knowing  that  a  severe  campaign  was 
before  them.  He  rejoined  the  regiment  during  the  last  day  of  the  battle  of 
Cold  Harbor,  and  was  first  under  fire  with  the  regiment,  fighting  as  in- 
fantry, at  the  first  assault  on  Petersburg  by  the  Second  Army  Corps,  to 
which  the  regiment  was  attached,  on  the  evening  of  June  16,  when  the  regi- 
ment again  lost  heavily.  Leverett  received  a  bullet  through  his  shirt-sleeve 
which  lodged  in  his  coat,  which  was  rolled  on  his  back.  The  coat  had  some 
eight  different  holes  in  it,  and  was  a  wonderment  to  all  those  who  saw  it 
the  next  day,  when  it  was  exhibited. — ED.] 

June  3rd.  Started  for  the  scene  of  war.  Father  went  with  me  to  Bos- 
ton. (He  was  ordered  to  go  by  Albany  on  business  by  the  capt.  of  his 
company.) 

June  4th.    Arrived  in  N.  Y. 

June  5th.   Arrived  in  Washington. 

June  6th.    Went  over  to  Fort  Albany  and  found  some  of  the  boys. 

June  7th.  Started  for  Washington  to  go  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac; 
was  too  late. 

June  8th.  Started  for  the  "White  House  Landing,"  Va.,  on  steamer 
Lizzie  Baker.  Had  a  splendid  sail. 

June  9th.  Arrived  at  White  House  and  started  for  the  Army;  went  ten 
miles  and  stopped  for  the  night. 

June  10th.  Arrived  at  Gaines  Mills  and  found  the  boys.  They  looked 
rough.  Only  fifty  present.  Pickets  firing  all  day. 

June  llth.    Pickets  firing  all  day. 

June  12th.  Saw  John  W.  breathe  his  last.  Started  at  10  P.M.  on  a 
flank  movement;  marched  about  8  miles  and  halted  for  the  night. 

June  13th.  Started  bright  and  early;  crossed  the  Chlckahominy  at  noon 
and  halted  for  the  night,  about  two  miles  from  the  James  river.  I  was  de- 
tailed for  picket,  but  was  relieved;  commenced  to  put  up  breast  works. 
Marched  during  the  day  25  miles  and  was  very  tired. 

June  14th.    Started  at  10  A.M.  for  James  river;  embarked  on  a  steamer 

[40] 


and  landed  the  other  side;  marched  two  miles  and  halted  for  the  rest  of 
the  column;  formed  line  of  battle  and  stopped  for  the  night. 

June  15th.  Set  out  at  10  A.M.  on  the  Petersburg  pike;  had  gone  ten  miles 
when  we  heard  firing;  got  to  the  extreme  front  at  12  M.  The  negro  troops 
had  taken  four  lines  of  the  enemy's  works. 

June  16th.  [First  Assault  on  Petersburg.]  About  six  A.M.  the  enemies 
Artillery  opened  on  us,  our  batteries  were  soon  in  position,  and  silenced 
their  fire.  Built  breast  works  and  at  six  P.M.  the  whole  line  moved  forward 
on  a  charge,  we  were  soon  hotly  engaged,  we  gained  about  half  a  mile  of 
ground.  Co.  B  had  8  wounded.  I  was  struck  by  two  spent  balls. 

June  17th.  Moved  forward  half  a  mile  on  the  right  of  the  road,  layed 
all  night,  the  Artillery  threw  shells  over  us,  at  night,  which  was  not  very 
pleasant.  Did  not  have  a  good  night's  rest. 

[Mr.  Bradley 's  brother,  Col.  J.  Payson  Bradley,  sends  me  his  account 
of  Leverett's  first  battle.— ED.] 

INCIDENT  IN  THE  ASSAULT  ON  PETERSBURG,  JUNE  16,  1864 

On  our  march  to  Petersburg  on  the  afternoon  of  June  15th  we  could  hear 
the  heavy  firing  caused  by  Smith's  Division  of  the  Army  of  the  James  in 
its  attack  on  the  outer  works.  We  reached  Petersburg  after  dusk,  and  laid 
on  our  arms  all  night. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  June  16,  being  in  line  of  battle,  we  were  opened 
on  by  a  confederate  battery  which  was  soon  silenced  by  the  effective  fire  of 
a  battery  of  the  Fifth  United  States  Artillery.  Just  before  sunset  we  were 
given  intrenching-tools  and  the  whole  division  advanced  into  the  woods, 
with  instructions  to  gain  a  certain  position  and  throw  up  earthworks.  We 
had  not  advanced  more  than  a  hundred  yards  when  we  were  met  by  a  ter- 
rific fire  of  musketry  from  the  enemy  directly  in  our  front.  Intrenching- 
tools  were  dropped  and  the  fire  was  returned,  and  then  began  a  battle  royal 
which  lasted  until  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  enemy  were  determined 
to  drive  us  from  the  woods,  and  we  were  as  determined  to  hold  our  position, 
which  we  did  until  morning,  when  by  a  flank  movement  the  enemy  were 
obliged  to  fall  back. 

This  was  Leverett's  first  battle  with  the  regiment  when  fighting  as  in- 
fantry. I  remember  he  went  into  the  fight  in  his  shirt-sleeves  and  was  the 
only  man  that  I  saw  in  the  regiment  who  had  on  a  white  shirt,  which  of 
course  made  him  a  conspicuous  mark.  You  see  he  had  but  lately  returned 
from  his  veteran  furlough  and  had  not  had  time  in  which  to  draw  a  woolen 
shirt  from  the  quartermaster.  He  did  not  show  the  least  fear,  and,  in  fact, 
during  all  our  campaigning,  I  never  saw  him  hesitate  for  a  moment  to  take 
his  proper  position,  whether  in  the  ranks  or  as  a  non-commissioned  officer, 
and  by  his  example  inspire  the  men  around  him. 

I  very  well  remember  the  stubbornness  of  this  battle  of  June  16th.  Act- 
ing at  the  time  as  the  colonel's  orderly  as  well  as  regimental  bugler,  I  was 

[41] 


directed  to  the  ordnance  officer  with  instructions  to  send  up  extra  ammu- 
nition, and  I  think  that  three  times  during  the  afternoon  and  evening  the 
cartridge-boxes  of  the  men  were  filled  from  the  ammunition  supply- wagons. 
I  lost  sight  of  Leverett  soon  after  the  engagement  began,  and  of  course  was 
very  anxious  as  to  his  safety;  but  it  was  not  until  after  the  firing  ceased,  be- 
tween ten  and  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  and  our  regiment  had  been  relieved 
from  the  first  line  of  battle  and  was  taking  up  its  position  a  little  to  the  rear, 
that  I  recognized  the  white  flag  of  Massachusetts,  which,  although  it  was 
of  course  after  sunset,  had  never  been  furled.  It  was  being  carried  in  the 
hands  of  one  of  the  color  corporals,  as  the  color  sergeant,  who  carried  it 
into  the  fight,  had  just  passed  away  from  a  fearful  wound  received  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  (Not  until,  however,  I  had  had  the  satisfaction  of 
giving  him  a  refreshing  draught  of  water  from  the  canteen  I  was  carrying.) 
It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night,  and  no  one  can  describe  the  feeling  that 
was  in  my  heart  as  I  scanned  the  thin  ranks  of  the  regiment  as  they  moved 
to  the  rear,  looking  for  the  one  man  above  all  others  who  was  so  dear  to  me, 
my  brother  Leverett.  I  soon  made  out  the  white  shirt-sleeves.  Although 
surrounded  by  the  men  of  his  company,  I  broke  through  the  ranks  and  in 
a  minute  more  we  were  in  each  other's  arms,  hugging  and  kissing  each  other 
like  a  couple  of  sentimental  schoolgirls,  and  our  first  inquiry  to  each  other 
was,  "Are  you  wounded?"  Then  he  showed  me  the  two  bullet-holes 
through  his  shirt-sleeves  and  the  mark  on  his  arm  where  the  missile  had 
just  grazed  him.  This  is  the  bullet  that  went  into  the  coat  rolled  on  his 
back,  making  eight  separate  holes  in  it. 

I  made  the  remark,  "You  must  have  killed  every  Johnny  Reb  in  front 
of  you,  for  I  have  been  sending  up  ammunition  to  the  line  of  battle  all  the 
afternoon  from  the  ordnance  train."  (I  was  told  by  some  of  the  men  earlier 
in  the  evening  that  they  had  fired  as  high  as  eighty  rounds  apiece.)  He 
coolly  replied,  "No,  let  's  see;"  and  on  looking  at  his  cartridge-box  said, 
"I  have  only  fired  eleven  rounds."  I  said,  "How  's  that,  Leverett?"  and 
he  replied,  "Why,  I  only  fired  when  I  saw  something  to  fire  at."  I  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  battle,  and  how  he  liked  soldiering  as  an  in- 
fantryman, and  he  replied,  "  It  was  rather  hot  at  times,  and  at  the  end  I 
was  so  completely  exhausted  and  so  choked  from  the  fumes  of  sulphur  that 
I  fell  asleep  just  where  I  was  lying,  behind  some  temporized  earthworks, 
although  at  the  time  a  battery  of  twelve-pounder  Napoleon  guns  were  firing 
over  our  heads  at  the  enemies'  earthworks  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  in  our 
front." 

June  18th.  [Second  assault  on  Petersburg.]  Started  on  a  charge  about 
5  A.M.  Got  one  line  of  their  breast-works.  Moved  forward  to  about  500 
yds.  of  their  next  and  threw  up  rifle-pits.  In  the  afternoon  a  charge  was 
ordered;  but  "no  go." 

June  19th.    We  wrere  relieved  from  this  position  and  placed  in  a  worse 

[42] 


place !  We  threw  up  rifle  pits  to  support  a  battery.  Worked  all  night ;  moved 
forward  and  commenced  to  throw  more  works. 

June  20th.  Layed  in  the  same  position  all  day.  The  sharp-shooters 
were  firing.  It  was  a  sight  to  see  the  dead  on  the  field,  where  the  1st.  Maine 
charged.  Moved  to  the  rear  and  left  about  12  o'clock. 

June  21st.  Started  on  the  road  about  9  A.M.  to  cut  the  Weldon  and 
Richmond  Railroad.  Arrived  about  noon;  moved  towards  the  Rebs  and 
fortified.  Remained  all  night. 

June  22nd.  Moved  forward  about  ^  a  mile  and  erected  rifle-pits.  A 
Reb.  battery  annoyed  us  considerably.  About  noon,  firing  was  heard  di- 
rectly in  front.  Soon  after  Barlow's  Div.  came  rushing  over  our  rifle-pits, 
the  Rebs  followed.  Engaged  them  a  short  time  and  fell  back.  Loss:  Co. 
B  8  wounded. 

June  23rd.  Our  brigade  was  moved  to  the  left  to  support  a  batter}7. 
Shortly  after  an  artillery  duel  began.  The  shell  all  went  over  the  battery 
and  came  amongst  us.  We  lost  one  man  wounded.  Just  at  dusk  a  charge 
was  ordered  to  be  made  by  our  division  across  an  open  field.  We  drove  the 
Rebs  back  and  threw  up  rifle-pits.  Remained  in  rifle-pits  all  day;  burried 
our  dead;  were  relieved  at  night  and  went  to  the  rear. 


THE   DEW  DROP  RESTAURANT 

493  TENTH  STREET 
Near  Pennsylvania  Avenue 


CHOICE  WINES,  LIQUORS,  AND 
CIGARS 


[Written  in  pencil  on  the  back  of  the  above  card.] 

June  23,  1864. 

We  had  a  battle  yesterday.  I  have  not  seen  Jerry  but  he  is  in  the  rear 
somewhere.  Do  not  entertain  any  fear  about  him,  for  he  can  take  care  of 
himself.  Co.  B  had  22  men  at  roll  call  last  night;  some  more  will  probably 

come  in.  ...  C. ,  W.—    -  F. ,  and  R. are  wounded. 

LEV. 

Get  me  a  chance  somewhere  if  you  can.  Have  heard  from  Jerry,  he  is  all 
right.  George  Frye  is  missing.  I  think  is  prisoner.  Capt.  K.  is  killed. 
Love  to  all.  Will  write  every  opportunity.  We  got  the  worst  of  it  yes- 
terday. LEV. 

[This  was  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Va. — ED.] 

[43] 


IN  CAMP  NEAR  PETERSBURG,  VA.,  July  3,  1864- 
Dear  Family: 

We  rec'd  a  letter  on  the  1st.  inst.  which  found  us  all  well.  Jerry  has 
been  ordered  back  to  Head  Quarters,  to  blow  the  calls  for  the  regt.  Since 
I  wrote  last  we  have  moved  forward  about  a  mile  and  built  very  strong 
rifle-pits.  The  whole  army  (as  much  as  we  know  about  it)  is  at  a  stand 
still.  It  would  be  impossible  this  hot  weather  to  move;  rumors  say,  we  are 
waiting  for  re-enforcements,  which  we  need  badly  enough. 

I  must  say  I  found  things  a  great  deal  different  from  what  I  expected; 
any  one  is  lucky,  who  gets  out  of  a  fight.  And  even  those  who  get  a  flesh 
wound  are  lucky.  Some,  in  the  army  even,  shoot  off  a  finger  to  get  rid  of  go- 
ing into  action ;  the  latter  are  not  thought  much  of.  Flesh  wounds  are  worth 
from  ten  to  twenty  dollars.  But  during  this  hot  weather  slight  flesh  wounds 
have  proved  fatal.  This  is  considered  by  old  soldiers  the  hardest  campaign 
of  the  war  so  far;  until  the  last  few  days,  some  part  of  the  line  has  been  en- 
gaged. The  genl.  health  of  the  troops  is  good ;  but  I  would  not  believe  be- 
fore I  came  out  here  that  man  was  capable  of  enduring  so  much.  Today, 
half  the  army  would  be  sick  in  bed  if  they  were  at  home,  but  here  they  go 
well  with  the  well  ones.  Nothing  is  so  tiresome  work  as  fighting.  During 
the  action  of  the  16th.,  which  I  wrote  you  about,  our  line  of  battle  got  sep- 
arated; and  some  of  us  went  to  the  left  and  the  regt.  to  the  right.  We  were 
ordered  over  to  the  regt.,  but  we  formed  a  line  about  half  way.  There  were 
no  rebs  in  our  immediate  front  at  the  time,  but  the  right  was  hotly  engaged ; 
we  layed  down  and  I  got  a  short  nap  before  we  were  relieved.  The  Artil- 
lery in  the  rear  throwing  shell  over  our  heads  all  the  time.  I  used  to  hear 
them  speak  of  the  first  Bull  Run,  but  hardly  credited  the  story  till  I  ex- 
perienced it  myself.  We  were  relieved  the  other  day  quite  suddenly,  by 
Genl.  Ewells  and  Hill's  corps;  not  a  very  welcome  relief.  It  is  almost  im- 
possible to  get  water,  consequently,  the  boys  are  very  dirty  and  as  a  nat- 
ural consequence  we  have  plenty  of  those  little,  called  in  natural  history 
"lice."  Some  of  the  boys  have  come  better  flank  movements  on  them 
than  Grant  did  on  the  rebs  at  North  Anna,  by  turning  all  their  clothing 
wrong  side  out;  it  takes  about  two  days  for  them  to  crawl  onto  the  other 
side,  then  change  them  again ;  they  soon  get  disgusted  and  leave. 

I  have  been  hard  at  work  for  the  last  few  days  with  back  papers,  mus- 
ter, and  muster-out  rolls.  The  July  boys  are  anxious  to  get  off.  The  general 
opinion  is  that  the  Co.s  will  be  consolidated.  Officers  are  in  an  awful  fix 
about  who  is  going  home;  they  all  want  to  go.  I  hardly  think  you  enjoyed 
my  furlough  much  more  than  I  did;  at  least,  I  should  not  complain  if  they 
would  give  me  another.  George  Frye  [a  cousin]  has  been  heard  from ;  he  is 
in  prison  without  doubt.  Tell  the  folks  not  to  worry  about  him ;  as  there 
were  a  lot  of  them  taken,  will  probably  be  sent  to  Georgia. 

Give  my  regards  to  all  enquiring  friends.    Much  love  to  all. 

Respectfully  &c.  L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

Co.  B  1st  Mass.  H.  A.  2nd  Brigade, 

Army  of  the  Potomac. 
[44] 


[A  letter  from  their  mother  to  Jerry.] 

METHUEN,  July  7,  1864- 
My  dear  son  Jed: 

We  received  your  kind  letter  of  the  23rd  in  due  time.  I  have  not  learned 
from  either  of  you  since;  our  anxiety  is  intense.  We  know  you  would  write 
if  possible,  for  the  reason  you  always  have.  It  may  be  the  mail  or  some- 
thing of  that  kind.  Do  write  on  receiving  this,  if  you  are  alive. 

I  suppose  those  that  are  to  come  home  from  your  company  are  on  the 
road;  how  glad  I  should  be  if  both  of  your  times  had  been  out;  but  I  must 
wait  with  submission.  I  am  dreading  the  sickly  season.  Do  be  as  careful 
of  yourself  as  possible,  and  let  us  know  if  you  are  sick. 

Is  it  the  same  doctor  you  had  at  Harper's  Ferry?  Does  the  chaplain 
remain  with  you  ? 

Grandmother's  family  are  feeling  bad  about  George.  I  hope  he  will 
keep  well  and  have  enough  to  eat.  Does  anybody  know  where  they  went, 
what  part  of  the  South?  He  may  find  his  mother;  she  is  in  Mobile.  His 
brother  Milburn  is  not  in  the  army,  but  at  school,  and  so  is  Sarah. 

We  all  feel  anxious  about  you  both;  all  we  can  do  is  to  pray  for  you. 
Everybody  enquires  for  you.  Great  praise  is  awarded  Lev.  for  his  courage 
and  patriotism  in  leaving  home  at  such  a  time.  Everybody  felt  for  him,  but 
nobody  can  feel  as  I  do.  Such  an  anxiety  no  one  but  a  mother  feels. 

I  have  written  a  few  lines  to  your  doctor.  I  felt  as  though  I  must.  I 
shall  enclose  with  this  much  love  to  Lev.,  and  may  God  spare  you  both 
from  sickness  and  death  is  the  constant  prayer  of  your  mother. 

Father  is  very  busy  commencing  haying.    Help  is  very  scarce. 

We  are  all  well  in  body,  but  anxious  in  mind. 

MOTHER. 

July  4th.  It  was  the  stillest  fourth  I  ever  passed ;  the  boys  had  no  chance 
to  celebrate.  Bands  played  in  the  evng.  There  was  a  little  Artillery  firing 
on  the  right;  we  expected  an  attack. 

July  5th.  Worked  on  the  company's  papers.  Boys  are  anxious  to  be 
off;  but  no  prospect. 

July  6th.  Were  relieved  at  ten  A.M.  ;  marched  half  a  mile  to  the  rear, 
pitched  camp,  and  went  in  earnest  to  get  the  men  off.  [Time  had  expired.] 

July  7th.  Same  old  place.  Something  new  comes  up  every  minute. 
The  boys  begin  to  think  they  will  never  get  away. 

July  8th.  A  little  firing;  the  shell  did  damage  where  they  struck,  but 
none  came  near  our  camp. 

July  9th.  The  boys  started  for  home  at  dusk ;  it  seemed  sad  to  part  with 
them.  We  moved  at  10  A.M.  to  the  left. 

July  10th.  Layed  in  the  same  place  till  afternoon  and  were  relieved; 
went  back  to  our  old  position. 

July  llth.  Layed  in  the  same  place  over  night  and  next  day.  Moved 
at  12  midnight  to  the  left,  encamped  in  a  field.  [18th  birthday.] 

[45] 


July  12th.  Layed  in  the  same  place  all  day  and  all  night.  The  sun 
visited  and  spent  the  day  with  us.  Sand  knee  deep. 

July  13th.  Moved  2^  miles  to  the  right,  at  7  A.M.  Had  to  pick  our  way, 
the  dust  so  thick  could  not  see  far  ahead.  Had  the  sun  as  usual. 

July  14th.  Layed  in  this  place  all  day.  At  night  we  moved  front  and 
went  to  tearing  down  Rebel  rifle-pits.  Moved  back  in  the  morning. 

July  22nd.  Layed  in  the  same  place  for  a  week.  Moved  to  the  left  today 
about  a  mile.  Are  now  protecting  the  flank  of  the  army. 

July  26th.  Started  at  C  P.M.  ;  marched  towards  City  Point,  turned  off 
and  crossed  the  Appomattox  and  James.  Rested  but  twice  the  whole  march, 
about  20  miles ;  the  corps  straggled  very  badly. 

July  27th.  [Battle  of  Strawberry  Plains.]  Skirmishing  began  almost  as 
soon  as  we  got  to  the  north  side  of  the  James.  Captured  4  guns.  Johnnies 
were  surprised  to  find  that  we  had  got  out  to  intercept  them. 

July  28th.  Layed  in  the  woods  all  day.  Saw  some  of  the  26th  regt.  At 
9  o'clk  P.M.  we  started  for  the  front  of  Petersburg;  marched  till  morning, 
about  20  miles. 

July  29th.  Layed  in  the  woods  all  day  (the  3rd  div.),  at  night  relieved; 
some  of  the  18th  corps  in  the  trenches.  Rebs  began  shelling  us.  The  siege 
of  Petersburg  has  begun  in  earnest. 

July  30th.  [Explosion  of  the  mine.]  A  regular  artillery  battle  began  at 
4  P.M.  The  shell  flew  thick;  were  relieved  at  10  P.M.,  marched  to  our  old 
camp.  Burnside  blew  up  a  rebel  fort,  and  500  Rebs  and  18  guns  were 
buried. 

July  31st.  Drew  rations  as  soon  as  we  arrived  in  camp.  Layed  in  camp 
all  day  and  night. 

Aug.  1st.  Started  back  for  our  old  camp  in  the  woods  at  9  A.M.  I  was 
detailed  to  report  at  Regt.  Head  Quarters. 

Aug.  2nd.    Working  at  Head  Qrs. 

Aug.  7th.  Have  been  working  on  papers;  in  the  same  position.  Almost 
starved  to  death,  but  fun  if  the  boys  have  any  grub  on  hand. 

Aug.  12th.  Same  position  till  today;  started  at  2  o'clk  for  City  Point, 
arrived  at  7  o'clk.  It  was  terribly  hot,  a  great  many  were  sunstruck. 

Aug.  13th.  Layed  on  a  hill  all  day.  At  5  P.M.  embarked  on  steamer 
Octorora;  ran  down  the  river  about  3  miles,  when  the  whole  expedition 
started  up  the  river.  In  all,  about  20  vessels. 

Aug.  14th.  Disembarked  at  Deep  Bottom.  1st  and  2nd  Divs.  went  into 
the  woods  and  we  layed  in  the  sun.  The  10th  corps  captured  6  guns. 
Layed  here  all  night;  rainy. 

Aug.  15th.  [Battle  of  Deep  Bottom.]  Started  at  9  A.M.  for  the  right, 
having  been  assigned  to  the  19th  corps  of  our  Brigade;  skirmish  for  four 
hours,  through  a  dense  forest  to  enable  our  cavalry  to  pass  out  on  the  right 
flank.  Lost  one  killed  and  7  wounded. 

Aug.  16th.  Moved  to  the  left  in  the  morning,  and  to  front  at  10  A.M. 
Our  regt.  in  reserve.  10th  corps  charged  well  and  took  800  prisoners.  We 

[46] 


performed  several  duties  during  the  day.  There  was  hard  fighting  all  day. 
We  lost  one  man  (was  taken  sick  and  went  to  the  rear). 

Aug.  17th.  Fell  in  with  the  Brigade  as  it  passed  on  their  way  to  our  old 
Div.  Layed  in  a  close  mass  all  day;  it  rained  hard. 

Aug.  18th.  Layed  in  the  same  place  until  dark,  rained;  started  for  the 
front  of  Petersburg,  walked  all  night;  rained  a  little.  Marched  until  Morn- 
ing of  the  19th. 

Aug.  19th.  Kept  on  marching  to  the  left,  were  put  on  picket.  9th  and 
5th  Corps  moved  to  the  left.  Have  taken  the  Weldon  R.  R.  Rebs  came 
on  to  us,  and  took  about  50  prisoners  (on  the  run). 

Aug.  20th.    Same  place.    I  stopped  at  the  regt.  hospital. 

Aug.  22nd.    I  returned  to  the  regt. 

Aug.  25th.  Were  ordered  to  the  left  at  3  P.M.  The  rebs  began  to  shell 
us  as  we  left ;  moved  about  five  miles  through  up  the  works  and  came  back. 

Aug.  26th.  The  regt.  was  detailed  for  picket.  I  sat  up  till  11.30  P.M. 
and  was  relieved. 

Aug.  28th.    Worked  on  Muster  rolls.    Did  not  know  that  it  was  Sunday. 

Aug.  29th.  Nothing  of  importance  here.  Geo.  B.  McClellan  nominated 
Candidate  for  the  Chicago  Convention.  Platform,  purely  "Peace  on  any 
terms." 

Aug.  31st.  Finished  up  the  Rolls  and  were  mustered  for  six  weeks  pay 
by  the  Major. 

Sept.  1st.    The  regt.  moved  forward  400  yards  and  occupied  a  fort. 

Sept.  4th.  At  12  o'clk  our  guns  fired  a  salute  on  the  capture  of  Atlanta. 
The  rebs  replied  with  shell  and  we  answered  and  for  a  while  the  shot  fell 
thick. 

Sept.  llth:  During  this  time  we  have  been  laying  in  the  same  camp,  the 
Artillery  firing  on  our  right.  It  has  gotten  to  be  an  old  thing. 

Sept.  24th.  Here  I  am  sitting  in  my  tent,  where  I  have  been  at  work  all 
day;  the  rest  of  the  boys  have  gone  to  bed.  We  have  had  glorious  news 
from  Sheridan,  in  the  valley.  Give  salutes  with  shotted  guns. 

Sept.  25th.    Were  relieved  and  went  into  camp  in  the  rear. 

Sept.  29th.  Lay  as  support,  all  the  time  ready  to  re-enforce  any  part  of 
the  line.  Butler  took  3000  prisoners  and  15  guns. 

Oct.  1st.  Took  the  cars  at  1  P.M.  for  the  left,  a  terrible  storm  was  raging; 
layed  in  a  mass  all  the  afternoon. 

Oct.  2nd.  Moved  to  left  early  and  supported  the  skirmishing  line.  The 
records  of  the  day  I  shall  not  chronicle,  but  I  shall  never  forget  them. 
Moved  back  at  night  for  fear  we  should  get  flanked. 

[It  is  told  in  the  regiment's  history  what  he  declined  to  tell:  "The  brig- 
ade was  ordered  to  make  a  demonstration  on  the  enemy's  works,  to  ascer- 
tain their  strength  and,  if  possible,  carry  them.  As  we  advanced  the  enemy 
opened  a  battery  that  was  masked  in  the  angle  of  his  works,  having  a  raking 
fire  with  canister  and  spherical  case.  Our  support  not  coming  up,  we  were 

[47] 


obliged  to  retire.    It  was  a  very  stubborn  fight;  officers  and  men  were  killed, 
wounded,  and  taken  prisoners.    It  was  known  as  *  Poplar  Grove  fight.'  ' 
ED.] 

Oct.  6th.    Went  in  to  our  old  camp  at  Fort  Hayes. 

Oct.  24th.    Moved  about  11  P.M.  to  the  rear  and  closed,  en  masse. 

Oct.  25th.    Waiting  orders;  cold  nights. 

Oct.  26th.    At  two  P.M.  moved  to  the  "yellow  house." 

Oct.  27th.  [Battle  of  Boydton  Plank  Rd.]  Moved  early,  began  skirmish- 
ing in  forenoon;  drove  Rebs  4  miles  and  got  a  position  at  4  o'clk.  Got  a 
severe  shelling  and  had  a  small  fight,  retreating  after  dark;  pickets  gobbled, 
severe  attack,  loss  of  life  fearful. 

Oct.  28ih.    Moved  back  to  our  old  camp  in  the  rear. 

Oct.  30th.  Moved  back  to  our  old  position  [Fort  Alexander  Hayes]  in  the 
works. 

Nov.  4th.  Went  down  to  Div.  Hospital;  took  Jerry's  rifle.  His  furlough 
was  a  surprise. 

[Jerry  was  very  ill  and  Leverett  and  the  colonel  succeeded  in  getting 
him  a  furlough.  It  was  made  out  giving  him  leave  to  go  home  to  vote.  He 
was  bugler  of  the  regiment  and  only  sixteen  years  old !  He  got  through  the 
journey  as  far  as  the  train  from  New  York  to  Boston.  There  he  entered 
the  car  so  weak  he  could  hardly  stand.  The  car  was  crowded;  but  he  was 
made  to  feel  how  little  the  people  of  the  North  realized  the  hardship  of  the 
soldiers'  lives,  for  they  pushed  by  him  as  a  vagabond  and  he  sank  ex- 
hausted on  the  floor  in  the  corner  of  the  car  and  could  not  keep  back  the 
tears. — ED.] 

Nov.  8th.  Abraham  Lincoln  re-elected  President  of  the  United  States  of 
America  by  a  large  majority  over  Genl.  Geo.  B.  McClellan,  candidate  of 
the  Chicago  Convention. 

Jerry  arrived  home;  met  father  and  mother  at  the  village. 

FORT  HAYES,  NEAR  PETERSBURG,  VA.,  Nov.  14,  1864- 
Dear  Family: 

Yours  of  the  6th  inst  arrived  in  due  time.  I  have  been  waiting  anx- 
iously to  hear  from  Jere,  as  he  promised  to  write  as  soon  as  he  got  home. 
The  process  of  getting  mustered  out  should  receive  particular  attention.  I 
shall  forward  today  his  descriptive  list,  to  Major  Clark,  Boston,  Mass. 
I  would  advise  Jerry  to  report  without  delay,  after  the  receipt  of  this,  and 
do  the  best  he  can,  for  his  furlough  and  term  of  service  expire  at  the  same 
time. 

The  weather  has  been  changeable  for  the  past  fortnight.  At  first  it  was 
exceedingly  cold,  then  we  began  to  have  the  beautiful  indian  summer.  The 
days  were  perfectly  delightful  and  the  nights  equally  so;  but  now  it  seems 
as  if  cold  winter  had  fairly  set  in,  but  we  are  fully  prepared  for  him,  with 
a  large  fire  place  and  a  comfortable  sheebang.  There  have  been  quite  a 

[48] 


number  of  promotions  in  the  regt. ;  doubtless  you  have  read  of  them  in  the 
papers.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  surprise  expressed  when  the  commissions 
came,  for  some  have  received  them  that  we  supposed  stood  no  chance  at  all ; 

two  of  them,  B —   -  and  A n.    have  been  in  only  one  fight  (the  first) 

and  have  played  ever  since.  The  quarter  master  Sergt.  was  promoted, 
which  left  a  vacancy  there.  I  was  asked  for;  but  the  Major  refused  to  let 
me  go,  on  the  grounds  that  he  wanted  me  here,  to  do  the  writing  for  the 
companies  B  and  C.  I  think  they  are  not  using  me  exactly  right;  but  still 
I  shall  not  complain ;  but  one  thing  is,  he  is  discouraging  good  behavior  and 
a  soldierly  bearing;  but  it  shall  not  serve  to  move  me  from  a  straight  and 
forward  course.  No  one  has  gone  as  yet,  and  they  know  of  no  one  to  send. 
So  perhaps  I  shall  get  it  yet;  but  I  shall  not  expect  it.  Promotions  have 
been  made  in  the  Regiment  by  the  Gov.  without  the  sanction  of  the  Regt. 
Commander.  I  am  not  particularly  desirous  of  another  lift,  but  if  you  think 
best  and  should  some  day  have  a  chance  to  speak  to  some  influential  man, 
it  would  have  a  great  weight  in  the  matter.  I  understand  now  that  names 
have  been  forwarded  to  the  Gov.  for  promotion;  but  ignorant  who  they  are. 
Genl.  Hancock  has  tried  to  get  this  Corps  to  the  rear  in  camp,  but  was  un- 
successful. I  for  one  was  glad  of  it. 

Old  Fort  days  seem  like  home.    Love  to  all. 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

[He  was  made  quartermaster-sergeant. — ED.] 

HEAD  QUARS.  Co.  B  IST  MASS.  H.  A.,  Dec.  4,  1864. 
Dear  Family: 

Your  last  was  rec'd  in  due  time.  Since  I  last  wrote  our  whole  Corps  has 
moved,  relieving  the  19th  at  the  left  of  the  line.  The  duties  in  front  of 
Petersburg  were  too  hard  for  this  corps,  with  too  small  numbers.  We  are 
now  in  a  fine  forest  in  front  of  Fort  Emory  (the  one  we  built  the  first  time 
that  we  went  to  the  left,  Jerry).  The  men  are  building  commodious  quar- 
ters, wood  being  plenty.  Picket  duty  is  very  easy  here,  there  being  no  enemy 
in  sight.  Some  of  the  boys  heard  by  letter  of  the  fellows  who  died  in  the 
Bull  pens  of  Georgia.  It  is  terrible  to  think  of,  men  of  strong  constitutions 
and  muscular  frames,  in  the  prime  of  life,  should  die  such  a  death.  Star- 
vation, for  that  is  the  death  that  I  think  they  died  of.  Think  of  being 
penned  up,  dying  inch  by  inch  daily,  and  at  last,  rot  to  pieces.  I  can  assure 
you  I  shall  run  a  great  risk  of  life  before  I  shall  be  taken  prisoner,  for  I 
consider  that  death  is  better  than  a  southern  Bull  pen.  It  is  very  evident 
that  Lawrence  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  this  regt.  It  is  now  called  a 
Lawrence  and  Ipswich  Regt.  I  think  by  seeing  H's  father  about  my  case, 
or  even  getting  some  one  in  Lawrence  to  write,  would  be  the  best  way  to 
carry  it  through.  But  do  it  without  my  knowledge. 

About  my  pictures,  you  did  perfectly  right,  Susan  Jane!  Love  to  all 
from  LEV.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

P.  S.    Jerry,  you  might  send  me  a  V.,  which  would  be  very  acceptable. 

[49] 


[On  December  7  he  was  in  the  engagement  called  "  Weldon  Raid,"  but 
he  had  stopped  recording  in  his  diary.  Another  soldier  writes : 

"  Supposing  that  the  campaign  was  ended  and  that  we  were  now  to 
have  winter  quarters,  the  men  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  in  four  days 
had  put  up  comfortable  log  huts,  all  supplied  with  fireplaces;  but  on  the 
6th  of  December  orders  were  rec'd  to  march  at  daylight.  The  men  suffered 
severely  on  this  raid,  many  of  them  coming  back  over  frozen  ground  with- 
out shoes.  The  distance  marched  was  ninety-six  miles." — ED.] 

CAMP  IST  MASS.  H.  ARTY.,  Dec.  31st,  1864. 
Dear  Family: 

I  rec'd  your  last  Sabbath  letter,  yesterday  morn'g.  It  has  been  raining 
and  snowing.  I  have  but  just  returned  from  the  Major's  office,  where  I 
have  been  to  report  concerning  the  absence  of  men,  preparatory  to  a  mus- 
ter for  payment.  This  is  the  first  time,  for  three  years,  that  I  have  not  made 
out  the  rolls;  but  my  duties  are  such  now  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
do  it.  I  have  to  drill  recruits  once  a  week,  besides  the  regular  forms  and 
duties  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  go  through,  as  soon  as  we  come  to  a  halt. 
Frank's  letter  I  shall  preserve  with  great  care,  or  rather  I  wish  you  to.  I 
shall  enclose  it  with  this,  where  you  can  let  it  remain.  In  years  to  come,  if 
through  the  divine  mercy  of  God,  we  are  both  permitted  to  live,  it  would 
doubtless  be  a  pleasure  to  us  both  to  look  back  to  this  his  first  letter.  The 
wind  has  started  up  and  it  is  snowing  at  a  furious  rate.  Many  of  us  are  un- 
prepared for  it.  My  tent  is  quite  comfortable,  but  I  am  forced  to  lay  on  the 
ground;  wood  is  very  scarce  with  us,  having  to  back  it  almost  a  mile,  and 
nothing  but  green  pine  at  that.  It  will  probably  be  drawn  to  us  if  we  stop 
here  any  length  of  time.  I  am  writing  in  great  haste  and  in  the  cold,  as  you 
will  plainly  see  by  the  writing.  But  come  to  look  it  over,  as  I  have  just  done, 
it  looks  and  reads  a  great  deal  worse  than  I  expected;  but  I  am  forced  to  let 
it  go,  for  this  time,  and  in  order  to  pass  it  by  to  my  advantage,  you  will  not 
consider  it  my  weekly  missive.  Love  to  all  from  LEV. 

[On  January  1,  1865,  he  was  promoted  to  orderly  sergeant  and  had  a 
furlough  of  ten  days. — ED.] 

CAMP  IN  THE  FIELD,  Feb.  12,  1865. 
Dear  Mother: 

We  were  forced  to  come  back  from  Washington  by  the  Potomac  river. 
There  was  but  one  Brigade  in  the  fight  [2nd  Hatch's  Run]  last  Sunday  night, 
the  3rd  of  our  division.  They  were  charged  three  successive  times  by  Di- 
visions. And  a  fresh  division  each  time.  It  is  said  that  Genl.  Lee  com- 
manded the  movements  in  person.  They  intended  to  break  our  lines  and 
by  so  doing,  cut  off  the  5th  Corps,  which  had  gone  out  farther  on  the  left. 
But  they  ran  foul  of  fighting  stock  and  were  driven  back  with  great  loss. 
Our  artillery  was  placed  in  such  a  position  that  it  cut  them  up  terribly. 

[50] 


Four  men  were  found  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  all  mangled  up.  The  battery  be- 
longed to  the  "  Old  Bay  State,"  viz.  10th  Mass.  I  did  not  join  the  regt.  till 
Thursday;  I  found  them  in  a  small  pine  thicket.  The  smoke  was  so  dense 
as  to  be  able  to  cut  in  slices.  Our  eyes  were  all  blood  shot.  The  old  com- 
pany was  right  glad  to  see  me  back.  Do  not  take  wrhat  I  write  as  self  es- 
teem! It  was  proposed  to  give  me  three  cheers;  but  the  plan  was  aban- 
doned much  to  my  pleasure.  All  the  time  that  I  was  gone  there  had  been 
a  perfect  hubbub  in  the  company.  Sergt.  D.  not  knowing  human  nature, 
swords  had  to  be  drawn  one  time.  It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  be  wel- 
comed back  the  way  I  was.  Every  one  had  a  good  word  to  say  to  me.  I 
pray  God  that  I  may  always  deal  with  men  in  such  a  manner  that  I  may 
be  looked  up  to  as  one  possessing  a  whole  soul,  for  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to 
one  to  know  that  he  is  liked.  And  especially  one  placed  as  I  am.  We  have 
moved  every  day  since  I  got  back.  Yesterday  our  regt.  with  the  93rd  N.  Y. 
was  on  fatigue,  slashing  timber  in  front  of  works.  It  was  splendid  wood. 
I  cannot  imagine  what  farmers  North  would  say  to  see  the  whole  of  an  im- 
mense forrest  levelled  in  a  day.  We  are  lying  now  on  a  hill  in  an  open  field. 
There  is  a  good  prospect  of  our  going  in  to  camp,  but  for  how  long  no  one 
knows.  I  have  found  all  of  my  things  well  cared  for,  stove  and  all.  I  have 
slept  well  since  I  got  back.  Do  not,  I  beg  of  you,  feel  any  uneasiness  on  my 
account.  Wliat  ever  I  need  I  will  write  for.  I  wish  you  would  get  some  yarn 
or  worsted  and  get  one  of  the  Dole's  to  knit  me  a  sleeping  cap;  if  they  can't 
do  it,  get  some  one  else.  It  would  be  a  great  comfort  to  me  to  have  one,  I 
have  caught  a  cold  already.  I  will  do  the  honorable  when  I  write  to  them. 
I  enjoyed  my  furlough  hugely;  but  bidding  you  all  a  long  farewell  marred 
the  pleasure  slightly.  I  beg  of  you  again,  do  not  worry  for  me;  although 
life  is  uncertain,  it  is  not  necessary  to  borrow  trouble.  A  great  many  of  the 
regiments  are  without  officers.  By  the  last  move,  our  lines  have  been 
lengthened  three  miles.  We  are  ignorant  of  the  genl.  result  of  the  move. 
My  regards  to  all  enquiring  friends,  and  love  to  all  the  Bradley  family. 
Your  dutiful  son, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

P.  S.  Captain  [he  always  called  his  father  that  in  these  days],  our  men 
slightly  wounded  are  falling  off  very  fast.  Co.  B  numbers  only  twenty-eight 
ready  for  duty.  I  wish  you  might  get  a  place  for  me.  I  shall  not  expect 
one,  because  so  many  want  them. 

[He  held  the  position  of  orderly  sergeant,  and  was  at  many  times  com- 
manding the  company  on  account  of  the  loss  or  absence  of  all  commissioned 
officers. — ED.] 

CAMP  IST  MASS.  H.  ART.,  March  28,  1865. 
Dear  Jed: 

I  received  your  letter.  I  take  this  opportunity  to  answer,  not  knowing 
that  I  shall  ever  have  another.  We  are  under  orders  to  move  at  6  A.M.  to- 

[51] 


morrow;  rations  are  being  drawn  and  other  little  matters  attended  to,  but 
you  know  too  well  how  this  is  all  done.  The  24th  Corps  is  here  with  Sheri- 
dan's famous  raiders  and  rumors  have  it  that  we  are  to  join  Sherman  across 
the  Country.  I  hope  so  for  one;  but  it  may  only  be  a  move  for  the  south 
side  of  the  R.  R.  The  recommendations  that  you  wished  me  to  get  for  you 
have  been  obtained.  I  feel  as  though  I  must  give  you  a  little  advice.  Have 
you  considered  and  made  up  your  mind  to  give  the  rest  of  your  years  to 
your  country  ?  Either  branches  of  the  service  are  apt  to  lose  their  charm 
after  a  few  years.  It  seems  to  me  that  you  could  choose  some  occupation 
or  profession  that  you  would  be  more  capable  of,  and  feel  better  satisfied 
with.  I  am  willing,  so  far  as  it  lays  in  my  power,  to  do  anything  for  you, 
even  giving  money  for  your  advancement,  of  which  you  were  robbed,  by 
entering  the  service  at  so  youthful  an  age.  We  can  say  that  we  passed  three 
years  in  our  country's  service  together.  I  will  close  now,  to  get  a  little  sleep 
before  tomorrow's  movements.  I  beg  of  you  now  give  this  subject  a  long 
thought,  for  I  think  that  your  future  depends  upon  it.  You  are  moulding 
what  is  to  be  the  man. 

Give  my  love  to  all;  please  remember  me  to  all  enquiring  friends. 

Ever  your  brother, 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

[The  battle  of  Vaughn  Road  was  fought  March  29,  in  which  the  regi- 
ment charged  and  took  the  first  line  of  the  enemy's  works.  On  March  31 
was  the  engagement  at  Burgess  Mill.  In  this  battle  the  First  Massachu- 
setts Heavy  Artillery  and  the  Fifth  Michigan  Infantry  were  ordered  to 
charge  a  battery,  protected  by  strong  earthworks  and  heavy  slashing,  and 
it  was  in  this  charge  that  Leverett  showed  such  bravery.  It  was  later  de- 
scribed by  his  captain,  though  he  made  nothing  of  it  himself  and  I  never 
heard  him  refer  to  it.  Two  days  later,  April  2,  the  whole  line  was  ordered 
forward  and  the  works  were  carried  by  assault.  Captain  Littlefield's  ac- 
count is  of  interest  here. — ED.] 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  state  that  the  following  describes  the  movements 
of  portions  of  the  2nd  Army  Corps,  on  March  31,  1865,  the  1st  Mass.  H.  A. 
being  in  Mott's  Division  [see  Walker's  Hist.,  2nd  Army  Corps,  page  663]: 
*  General  Humphreys  had  not  limited  his  efforts  for  the  support  of  Warren 
to  the  advance  of  Miles'  division;  but,  immediately  on  learning  that  the  en- 
emy had  assumed  the  offensive,  he  directed  General  Mott,  if  possible,  to 
carry  the  entrenchments  at  Burgess'  Mill  and  General  Hayes  to  carry  the 
Crow  House  redout.  Neither  of  these  assaults  was  successful,  owing  to  the 
impenetrable  abattis  found  along  much  of  the  line;  but  the  attacks  of  Mott 
and  Hayes  were  so  close  arid  persistent  as  to  prevent  the  Confederates  from 
reinforcing  the  troops  in  front  of  Warren  and  Miles,  Genl.  Wilcox,  who 
commanded  the  line  at  Burgess'  Mill  and  the  Crow  House,  being  compelled 
to  refuse  the  Genl.'s  request  for  an  additional  brigade.' 

[52] 


"  Now  at  that  time  under  consideration  above,  Sergeant  Leverett  Brad- 
ley, being  in  my  immediate  command,  in  moving  forward  to  the  abattis  or 
slashing  in  solid  mass,  in  front  of  the  enemy's  works  (some  of  my  men  failed 
at  the  onset  to  reach  the  outer  edge  of  said  slashing,  but  instead  fell  behind 
trees  and  commenced  firing  to  the  front,  over  the  heads  of  the  line  advanc- 
ing to  the  attack),  the  Sergeant,  of  his  own  motion,  rallied  these  men  into 
line,  holding  them  there  by  his  exhortation  and  example,  when  I  addressed 
him  in  words  of  commendation  for  his  brave  act.  Subsequently,  just  as  we 
were  mustered  out,  the  Sergeant  was  commissioned  First  Lieut,  by  Gov- 
ernor Andrew  of  Mass.,  but  our  ranks  had  become  so  depleted  it  was  con- 
solidated with  another  command,  so  that  this  officer  of  gallant  make-up 
could  not  be  mustered  to  the  grade  he  had  exercised  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses and  been  promoted  to."  ROGER  S.  LITTLEFIELD, 
Jan.  28, 1895.  Late  captain  1st  Mass.  H.  A. 


CAMP  IN  THE  FIELD,  NEAR  BURKSVILLE  JUNCTION,  VA., 

April  17,  1865. 
Dear  Family: 

We  moved  yesterday  to  this  position,  only  a  few  rods  from  our  former 
one,  to  wait  orders.  We  rec'd  the  sad  news  of  President  Lincoln's  being 
severely  wounded  in  the  head,  yesterday  morning,  and  of  his  death  last 
night.  The  news  cast  a  gloom  upon  all.  Many  were  the  oaths  taken  against 
the  perpetrator  of  the  deed.  We  rec'd  no  particulars,  simply  that  it  was  by 
J.  W.  Booth  in  Ford's  theatre,  and  that  Sec'ty  of  State  Mr.  Seward  and  his 
son  were  attacked  in  their  own  house.  We  have  had  no  newspapers  of  late 
date,  since  we  left  Petersburg,  except  the  Richmond  Whig,  which  goes  on 
the  same  as  before,  with  a  great  change  in  its  tone.  I  will  try  now  and  give 
you  a  description  of  our  operations,  although  I  have  no  notes  to  copy  from. 
I  think  it  is  impressed  strongly  enough  upon  my  memory  to  transfer  it  to 
paper. 

Sunday  morning,  Apr.  2nd,  at  about  7  o'clk  our  Regt.  with  the  5th 
Mich,  filed  out  through  the  works  into  the  woods  on  a  double  quick;  all  ex- 
pected a  repetition  of  the  scene  we  passed  through  before,  but  what  was 
our  surprise,  when  we  passed  by  the  picket  line,  through  the  woods  into  an 
open  field  in  full  view  of  the  Johnnies'  works,  and  found  them  vacated.  We 
immediately  struck  off  in  pursuit  up  the  Boydton  flank  road,  the  sixth  Corps 
in  advance.  The  "  Johns  "  made  a  stand  about  two  miles  from  the  City  and 
the  Artillery  kept  up  the  firing  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  The  next  morning,  we 
took  the  back  road  and  struck  out  for  the  Danville  road,  which  we  reached 
the  night  of  the  5th ;  fortified  across  it.  Our  Corps  struck  the  Rebs  the  next 
day  and  gave  them  an  awful  run;  they  would  make  a  stand  on  a  hill,  our 
skirmish  line  would  run  them  out  and  then  the  Cavalry  would  give  them  a 
charge  across  the  open  country,  till  they  found  they  had  made  another  halt. 
The  road  was  strewn  with  cars,  ammunition  boxes,  blankets,  old  broken 

[53] 


down  mules,  horses  and  wagons,  caissons,  limbers,  forges,  and  occasionally 
a  gun.  The  men  were  all  excitement  over  our  late  victories  and  nothing 
could  stop  them.  Our  Brigade  captured  seven  flags.  Our  regt.  was  un- 
lucky and  got  none.  We  followed  them  up  this  way  till  the  surrender.  I 
have  never  seen  such  a  sight  and  never  expect  to,  as  I  did  when  Genl.  Meade 
rode  in  from  the  front  and  a  staff  officer  announced  that  Lee  had  surren- 
dered [the  surrender  of  General  Lee  at  Appomattox  Court  House].  The  men 
hurrahed  as  if  their  throats  would  split.  Soon  after  Meade  came  riding 
through  the  lines.  All  the  flags  were  given  to  the  breeze  and  the  men 
crowded  around  them  and  cheered  lustily,  rushing  after  Genl.  Meade  all 
the  time.  Men  threw  up  their  caps,  haversacks,  and  canteens  and  some 
even  took  off  their  shoes  and  threw  them  up,  running  a  great  risk  of  ever 
getting  them  again.  Every  one  had  a  smile  on  his  face,  although  they  had 
been  without  rations  for  a  day  and  a  half. 

Regards  and  love  to  all.  LEV. 


CAMP  IST  MASS.  H.  ARTY.,  NEAR  BURKSVILLE  JUNCTION,  VA., 

Apr.  20,  1865. 
Dear  Jed: 

I  have  been  at  work  all  the  afternoon  fixing  up  our  tent.  I  have  seen 
considerable  within  the  last  few  weeks;  when  we  first  struck  the  "John 
Henrys"  and  had  followed  them  a  few  miles,  we  began  to  pick  up  the  relics 
by  the  bushels,  a  great  many  of  which  had  to  be  thrown  away,  as  the  marches 
were  so  severe  that  the  men  had  rather  keep  their  tack ;  but  we  had  but  little 
of  that.  I  have  got  a  Confederate  States  Army  Regulations.  We  are  just 
getting  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Johnson  to  Sherman.  The  boys  say  be 
ready  to  meet  them  at  the  depot  with  your  drums  about  the  4th  July.  They 
begin  to  feel  more  homesick;  they  feel  they  have  done  their  duty  and  now 
want  to  go  home.  Some  60  cannon  were  dug  up  near  the  station  today, 
which  the  Rebs  buried,  and  placed  head  boards  at  the  head  of  the  graves ; 
some  were  Sergts,  corpls.  &c,  quite  a  joke!  Our  Co.  (just  previous  to  our 
first  move  from  camp)  was  changed  from  the  third  to  the  Second  Batt. 
Our  U.  S.  colors  got  torn  all  to  pieces  in  our  late  scrap,  and  shell  broke  the 
staff  in  three  pieces  and  tore  the  flag  from  the  staff.  We  pitch  our  tent  this 
time  as  we  used  to  last  summer,  high,  and  then  build  a  bunk  of  poles.  We 
have  got  a  gay  one.  We  have  three  wool  blankets  and  are  hunky !  None  of 
us  expect  any  more  fighting.  I  got  a  chronicle  of  our  new  president's  plans 
and  views,  the  most  noticible  being,  "treason  must  be  punished."  I  feel 
that  the  South  were  interested  in  the  late  assassination.  It  will  avail  them 
nothing;  but  will  rather  injure  them.  I  think  they  can  well  say  that  this  is 
a  curious  army ;  a  foreign  one  would  have  massacred  the  inhabitants  on  re- 
ceiving the  news  that  we  rec'd,  but  with  us  it  was  all  quiet.  Tell  mother 
my  catarrh  is  all  right.  Give  my  regards  to  all  the  boys  and  gals. 

Love  to  all.  LEV. 

[54] 


CAMP  IST  MASS.  H.  A.,  NEAR  BURKSVILLE  JUNCTION,  VA., 

April  26,  1865: 
Dear  Family: 

Yours  of  the  19th  has  been  rec'd.  Yesterday  was  a  holiday  with  us, 
opening  with  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns,  and  a  gun  every  half  hour  during 
the  day,  with  a  National  salute  of  thirty  six  guns  at  sunset.  We  were  pa- 
raded at  10  A.M.  and  the  orders  of  the  Sect'y  of  war  and  Lieut  Genl.  Grant 
were  read  to  us.  All  the  men  are  dissatisfied,  stopping  here  in  camp.  The 
army  of  the  Potomac  is  without  an  enemy  in  front,  and  we  lay  here  waiting 
orders.  I  think  that  the  views  of  President  Johnson  are  very  different  from 
what  the  late  old  Abe's  were,  in  regard  to  the  settlement  of  this  great  rebel- 
lion for  which  so  many  lives  have  been  sacrificed.  I  favor  the  former's 
views,  i.  e.,  "Treason  is  a  crime  and  must  be  punished."  I  hardly  think 
the  war  worn  veterans  would  be  satisfied  unless  it  was  done.  Genl.  Lee 
must  be  made  an  example  of  immediately  and  all  other  Generals  in  our 
hands,  particularly  those  who  have  ever  meddled  with  politics,  should  suffer 
their  fate.  I  can't  bring  my  thoughts  to  believe  that  we  are  soon  to  go  home ; 
but  our  minds  are  at  ease  about  fighting.  We  are  expecting  good  news  from 
Genl.  Sherman,  but  yesterday's  paper  had  particulars  of  his  negotiation, 
which  has  lowered  him  in  my  estimation;  but  "Old  Useless"  himself  has 
gone  down  to  North  Carolina  to  run  the  machine,  'the  sun  is  hot  enough 
to  cook  coffee  in  the  open  air.  It  is  nearly  a  year  since  I  went  home  on  my 
veteran  furlough,  and  how  many  scenes  of  strife  and  bloodshed  I  have 
since  passed  through.  I  had  a  small  idea  of  the  army  then;  but  now  I  think 
I  can  well  say  that  I  have  been  through  the  mill.  F.  P.,  who  left  us  last 
fall  when  there  was  fighting,  has  returned  with  Capt's  bars.  I  assure  you 
he  was  not  welcome  amongst  those  who  had  done  their  duty  at  the  front 
to  the  present  time.  I  was  witness  to  a  big  nigger  fight  last  night.  They 
were  passed  round  through  the  crowd  in  a  hurry.  If  you  have  any  old  mag- 
azines about  the  house,  please  send  them  to  me,  as  reading  matter  is  scarce. 

Respectfully  yours, 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR.,  1st  Sergt.  Co.  B. 


CAMP  IST  H.  ARTY.,  NEAR  ARLINGTON  MILLS,  VA., 

May  24,  1865. 
Dear  Family: 

I  have  hardly  kept  my  promise  about  writing;  but  I  hope  you  will  ex- 
cuse me,  for  we  have  slept  most  of  the  time  since  we  got  into  camp.  We 
lay  on  a  ridge  right  near  the  old  mill,  a  mile  from  the  road  in  a  splendid  oak 
grove.  It  has  rained  for  three  days  and  we  hope  that  it  will  clear  before  to- 
morrow; for  on  Tuesday  we  are  to  be  reviewed  in  Washington.  We  all 
dread  the  march,  for  it  will  be  a  long  one  and  if  it  should  be  hot,  many 
will  faint.  WTe  have  begun  making  out  the  muster  rolls  for  the  men  whose 
term  of  service  expires  before  Oct.  1st.  If  you  should  hear  the  stories  that 

[55] 


we  have  in  camp  you  would  laugh  out  right.  One  day,  they  are  favorable 
for  the  recruits,  and  the  next,  for  the  veterans.  Now  Mother  I  hope  you  will 
feel  easy  about  me,  at  least  for  the  present  till  we  hear  what  they  intend  to 
do  with  the  veterans.  We  draw  soft  bread  every  day  now  and  vegetables 
are  more  plentiful  than  at  the  front.  George  Frye  [the  cousin  who  was 
taken  prisoner]  has  got  back  to  the  regt.  now,  looking  finely.  The  country 
along  the  road  has  changed  a  great  deal  and  it  is  lined  with  sutlers'  shan- 
ties. Some  of  the  4th  "  Heavies ' '  have  been  up  here ;  they  look  as  if  they  had 
been  playing  soldiers  for  a  while. 

A  year  ago  I  was  enjoying  myself  at  home  among  friends  and  relatives. 
It  does  seem  as  if  I  never  felt  happier  till  I  heard  that  the  regiment  had  lost 
such  numbers.  I  was  shown  the  very  tree  where  George  Bricket  and  others 
sat  under  a  few  hours  before  that  awful  fight  [the  Wilderness].  I  should 
have  gone  to  the  ground  itself;  but  we  were  moving  on  another  road,  until 
it  made  a  junction  with  the  main  road,  three  miles  from  the  battle  field. 
The  thunder  is  beginning  again;  we  were  caught  in  that  terrible  one,  just 
after  leaving  Falmouth.  The  trial  of  the  assassins  is  developing  a  great 
many  important  facts  which  the  government  intend  to  take  advantage  of. 
I  wish  they  would  bring  Jeff  to  Washington  in  the  same  clothes  that  they 
caught  him  in. 

With  much  love  to  all,  I  remain  as  ever, 

LEVERETT  BRADLEY,  JR. 

CAMP  IST  MASS.  H.  A.,  May  29. 
Dear  Family: 

Your  last  was  rec'd.  The  great  review  has  passed,  it  was  a  beautiful 
day.  The  Regt.  was  composed  of  six  companies.  I  was  the  left  guide  of 
the  color  Co.;  many  were  the  remarks  about  our  tattered  banners.  The 
ladies  kept  their  handkerchiefs  going  all  the  time.  I  should  have  thought 
they  would  have  got  tired  by  night.  The  streets  were  crowded  full  to  over 
flowing.  The  absorbing  topic  is  when  are  we  to  be  discharged  ?  Jerry,  I 
hear  stories  of  your  flirtations  out  here.  George,  now  you  are  21,  you  should 
make  your  appearance  with  a  tall  hat,  cigar  in  your  mouth,  a  fighting  dog 
under  your  carriage;  try  and  keep  up  to  the  times;  wait  till  I  get  home  and 
then  there  will  be  no  chance  for  you,  better  get  married  now.  News  is  so 
scarce  with  us  that  it  is  hard  to  make  up  a  letter.  The  boys  sleep  most  of 
the  24  hours.  As  ever,  LEV. 

CAMP  IST  H.  A.,  June  4,  1865. 
Dear  Family: 

We  had  inspection  this  morning.  I  had  command  of  the  Co.  We  have 
got  a  new  State  Color,  a  perfect  beauty !  We  are  waiting  for  a  new  national 
one  from  the  government.  The  old  ones,  that  stood  the  brunt  of  so  many 
battles,  are  now  almost  in  shreds  and  have  been  packed  up  ready  to  trans- 

[56] 


mit  to  Adjt.  Genl.  of  the  state  soon ;  if  we  are  not  soon  to  go  home,  in  which 
case  we  shall  carry  them.  The  review  of  the  corps  came  off.  It  was  not  as 
severe  as  we  expected.  Genl.  Hancock  looked  admirably  and  rec'd  cheers. 
The  6th  Corps'  Artillery  is  coming  in  now,  on  a  road  to  the  left  of  us;  the 
horses  look  played  out,  leaning  against  each  other  for  support.  Every 
day  we  hear  cheers  in  some  camp  regiment  whose  time  is  out  in  Oct.  and 
now  about  to  start  for  home.  Candle  light  parades  are  beginning  to  be  a 
great  feature  of  military  and  camp  illuminations.  The  scenes  are  beau- 
tiful to  look  at,  but  not  so  agreeable  to  participate  in,  grease  not  being  an 
ornament  to  clothes.  Clothing  has  just  come,  so  I  shall  have  to  make  larger 
letters  or  write  faster  to  finish  up.  If  it  is  a  scrawl,  my  thoughts  are  all 
there,  which  is  all  that  is  required. 

With  love  to  all,  LEV.  B.,  JR. 

I  presume  that  it  is  proper  that  you,  Lizzie,  should  give  away  my  photo- 
graphs. 

FORT  ETHAN  ALLEN,  VA.,  June  18,  1865. 
Dear  Family: 

Your  last  rec'd.  It  does  seem  as  if  the  flies  would  eat  me  up!!!  and  as 
for  bed  bugs,  we  caught  them  by  the  peck  this  afternoon.  We  relieved  the 
6th  Penn  H.  A.  I  went  to  work,  white  washed  my  room  and  scalt  the  bunk; 
but  from  the  rest  I  got  last  night  should  say  that  there  are  bed  bugs  yet. 
Lt.  Col.  Shatswell  is  Commanding  the  Brig,  but  our  Regt.  is  at  present  the 
only  one  in  it;  he  is  entitled  the  same  however  to  a  staff  and  orderlies.  I 
know  you  would  not  expect  me  to  write  if  you  saw  how  the  flies  trouble  me, 
so  will  close  for  now,  or  go  into  spasms.  L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 


FORT  ETHAN  ALLEN,  VA.,  June  25,  1865. 
Dear  Friends: 

Four  years  ago  yesterday,  this  Co.  left  the  pleasant  village  of  Methuen, 
for  Fort  Warren;  there  to  be  drilled  and  disciplined  for  war.  Some  went 
out  of  pure  patriotism  and  others  out  of  curiosity,  they  knew  little  of  war; 
but  they  all  had  drawn  a  picture  of  it  in  their  minds  and  I  think  their  con- 
clusions fell  far  short  of  the  mark.  For  my  own  part,  I  feel  glad  that  we 
were  ordered  from  the  forts  about  Washington.  Wrhat  I  have  seen  and 
learned,  money  cannot  buy.  But  to  think  that  we  have  lost  so  many  of  our 
brave  comrades  by  this  cruel  rebellion  (many  of  them  friends  of  mine)  is 
enough  to  make  all  cry  " Peace"  and  no  more  "  War."  I  thank  God  I  was 
allowed  to  pass  through  so  many  bloody  scenes.  Life  seemed  of  but  little 
importance  to  me;  but  I  never  yet  gave  up  and  who  knows  but  that  was 
the  reason  I  was  allowed  to  live  ?  I  shall  send  you  a  copy  of  Genl.  Pierce 's 
Order.  Wre  were  a  favorite  regt.  of  his.  The  5th  Michigan  and  1st  Massa- 
chusetts H.  A.  have  fought  side  by  side  in  many  a  battle  and  I  have  often 
heard  the  Genl.  say  "two  better  Regts.  could  not  be  found  in  the  service.'* 

[57] 


We  were  always  taken  when  an  object  of  importance  was  to  be  obtained,  and 
they  always  showed  themselves  true  soldiers.  The  work  of  mustering  out 
veteran  troops  has  begun ;  we  think  we  should  have  gone  if  we  had  remained 
in  the  Corps.  The  weather  has  been  terribly  hot  the  past  week,  but  the  flies 
are  not  so  bad  since  the  food  has  been  moved  into  the  mess  house.  Bed 
bugs  are  as  bad  as  ever,  I  cannot  sleep  in  my  bunk,  but  take  a  couple  of 
chairs  and  like  it  much  better.  I  earnestly  hope,  Jerry,  that  you  will  suc- 
ceed in  getting  into  the  naval  school,  if  you  have  made  up  your  mind.  You 
must  not  let  father  work  so  hard;  just  take  command  and  have  discipline 
in  the  house  hold.  Give  my  love  to  all.  Hoping  to  help  you  gather  the 
harvest  this  fall,  I  remain,  I,.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

[Copy  of  General  Pierce 's  Order.] 
Extract  from 
Special  Orders,  No.  166. 

HEADQUARTERS  2ND  BRIGADE,  SRD  DIVISION, 

2o  ARMY  CORPS,  June  15, 1865. 

4.  The  1st  Mass.  H.  A.  having  been  ordered  to  report  to  Genl.  Hancock, 
the  Genl.  commanding,  on  parting  with  them,  desires  to  express  his  heart- 
felt thanks  for  their  general  good  conduct  while  under  his  command.  Al- 
though entering  the  field  in  the  summer  of  1864,  at  the  height  of  the  most 
severe  campaign  the  army  ever  had,  they  showed  by  their  daring  bravery 
and  gallant  charges,  that  they  had  been  drilled  and  disciplined  for  a  pur- 
pose. Their  now  disseminated  ranks  attest  the  valor  and  patriotic  spirit 
with  which  they  were  inspired.  He  has  every  reason  to  feel  proud  of  their 
conduct  both  in  camp  and  on  the  battle-field  and  shall  ever  remember  with 
pleasure  their  connection  and  association  with  the  Brigade,  with  which  their 
military  history  has  now  become  a  part. 

By  command  of 

BRIG.  GENL.  PIERCE. 
(Signed)     C.  W.  FORRESTER, 

Capt.  and  A.  A.  A.  G. 
Fort  Ethan  Allen,  Va.,  June  19,  1865. 
Lever ett  Bradley,  1st  Sergt. 

FORT  C.  F.  SMITH,  VA.,  July  2,  1865. 
Dear  Friends: 

The  men  like  it  here,  for  the  duty  is  much  easier.  We  relieved  some  of 
the  N.  Y.  Arty.  Three  companies  are  in  a  barrack,  draw  rations  and  mess 
together.  I  never  felt  it  so  warm.  Nearly  every  afternoon  I  sit  and  let  the 
perspiration  drop  from  my  chin;  a  very  agreeable  occupation.  Some  of  the 
regts.  in  our  old  corps  had  a  row  yesterday,  refusing  to  do  duty.  I  don't 
know  how  they  came  out  in  the  matter.  I  should  like  to  be  with  you  the 
coming  fourth.  I  k'now  nothing  for  us  to  do  but  sit  still  and  think  of  what 

[58] 


a  good  time  you  are  having.  We  have  a  fine  view  of  Washington,  George- 
town, Chain  bridge  and  the  upper  Potomac.  One  man  is  allowed  to  visit 
Washington  daily.  The  boys  have  got  up  a  new  game  of  cards,  played  like 
muggins ;  but  the  one  that  is  beaten  has  to  allow  the  rest  to  give  him  three 
raps  each,  across  the  nose;  it  leaves  a  very  peculiar  tingling  sensation  after 
the  operation  and  makes  any  amount  of  sport.  D.  has  been  reduced  to  the 
ranks  for  abusive  language.  Jerry  will  tell  you  about  the  man  the  men  have 
been  under.  We  were  mustered  for  pay  by  Maj.  H 1.  The  men  are  im- 
proving in  looks  greatly.  Putting  on  our  fortification  airs  now,  Sarvy! 

Much  love  to  all, 

L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

Monday  Morning. 

Had  for  breakfast  one  cup  of  coffee  and  one  slice  of  bread.  I  assure  you, 
we  fat  on  the  living ! 

[On  July  11  he  was  19  years  old. — ED.] 

FORT  MORTON,  VA.,  July  16. 
Dear  Friends: 

I  am  beginning  this  letter  under  adverse  circumstances,  for  we  have  just 
rec'd  an  order  to  be  ready  to  move  immediately  back  to  Fort  Smith,  where 
all  the  Cos.  of  the  regt.  are  to  concentrate.  It  is  beautifully  situated  here. 
We  have  just  got  everything  going  smoothly,  our  Co.  being  here  alone,  so 
still,  and  we  feel  vexed  at  having  to  go  back.  I  visited  Washington  last 
night;  went  to  the  theatre,  and  liked  it. 

There  is  a  guitar  in  my  window  which  the  wind  is  playing  splendidly. 
My  mind  is  nowhere  today.  Regts.  pass  here  every  morning  on  their  way 
home.  We  are  all  in  hopes  our  turn  will  come  soon. 

This  letter  contains  all  the  news  I  can  collect;  but  at  that  in  a  consol- 
idated form.  Love  to  all  from  L.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

[There  now  comes  a  disappointment  which  he  bore  uncomplainingly 
and  accepted  as  the  inevitable.  It  was  not  until  1895,  when  urged  by  men 
in  Philadelphia  and  by  his  wife,  that  he  made  a  slight  effort,  by  going 
to  Washington,  to  see  if  the  matter  could  be  rectified.  He  was  convinced 
that  it  was  of  too  slight  importance  to  interest  the  Senate,  and  would  prob- 
ably be  defeated  promptly,  as  the  tendency  was  to  cut  down  claims  which 
might  establish  a  precedent  at  that  late  date.  The  following  gives  the  state- 
ment of  his  former  colonel. — ED.] 

To  whom  it  may  concern: 

I,  Nathanial  Shatswell,  do  hereby  certify  that  I  served  in  the  1st  Mass. 
H.  A.  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  that  during  the  last  fifteen 
months  of  the  war  I  was  its  commander.  I  knew  Leverett  Bradley,  Jr.,  who 
served  in  Co.  B  of  the  Regiment  for  the  four  years  or  more  of  the  war,  and 

[59] 


while  I  commanded  the  Regiment  I  knew  him  well.  He  entered  the  army 
at  the  tender  age  of  fifteen,  serving  faithfully  and  honorably  until  his  dis- 
charge. He  filled  the  positions  of  the  Company  Quartermaster-Sergeant 
and  1st  Sergeant  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  superiors  and  to  the  advantage  of 
the  country.  He  received  a  commission  as  1st  Lieut,  in  the  Regiment  from 
the  Governor  of  Mass.,  dated  July  31,  1865,  and  his  name  appears  in  the 
records  of  the  state  credited  with  that  rank. 

I  learn  that  the  War  Department  at  Washington  declines  to  muster  him 
upon  this  commission  (though  he  seeks  the  muster  only  that  he  may  be 
eligible  to  membership  in  the  Loyal  Legion),  because  there  was  no  vacancy 
of  his  grade  in  the  Regiment  at  the  time.  The  absence  of  vacancy  is,  of 
course,  a  matter  of  record  and  need  not  be  gainsaid.  But  the  causes  which 
led  to  this  condition  of  things  in  a  regiment  which  lost  heavily,  arid  at  times 
had  merely  a  handful  of  officers,  may  be  of  some  interest.  Had  the  Regi- 
ment been  mustered  out  of  service  in  the  condition  that  it  was  a  month  after 
the  surrender  of  Lee  there  would  have  been  vacancies,  and  many  in  the 
grade  of  1st  Lieut.,  and  Lieut.  Bradley  would  have  found  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  an  order  for  muster  from  the  War  Department.  But  after  that 
date,  a  month  or  more  after  the  close  of  the  fighting,  Col.  Wm.  F.  Abert, 
commanding  the  3rd  Mass.  H.  A.,  a  regiment  which  never  smelled  smoke 
of  battle,  conceived  the  idea  of  having  the  12  companies  of  the  1st  Regt. 
consolidated  into  4  companies  and  thus  the  Regiment  into  a  battalion,  and 
of  having  this  battalion  attached  to  his  command.  An  order  to  this  effect 
was  issued  from  the  War  Department.  It  caused  me  great  bitterness  of 
heart  to  execute  the  command,  but  I  obeyed  my  instructions.  The  12  com- 
panies of  my  command  were  consolidated  into  4  companies.  This  action 
easily  and  necessarily  filled  all  vacancies  in  the  various  grades  among  the 
commissioned  officers.  At  this  point  I  was  so  deeply  affected  by  the  dis- 
credit which  would  be  done  to  a  regt.  which  had  seen  service  through  the 
war  by  assigning  it  as  a  battalion  to  a  command  which  had  made  for  itself 
no  name,  I  determined  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  save  it  from  destruction  and 
to  perpetuate  its  identity.  I  therefore  consulted  the  Hon.  Henry  Wilson, 
senator  from  Massachusetts,  and  laid  the  whole  matter  before  him,  plead- 
ing that  the  Regt.  might  be  honorably  discharged  under  the  name  which  it 
had  so  honorably  borne;  soon  after  an  order  came  down  from  the  Wai- 
Department  countermanding  the  order  for  consolidation  with  the  3rd 
Mass.,  and  ordering  the  Regt.  to  be  honorably  discharged.  The  Regt.  was 
discharged  and  disbanded  on  Aug.  16,  1865. 

Now,  it  can  easily  be  seen  that  the  order  for  the  consolidation  of  12  com- 
panies into  4  companies  was  an  unnecessary  one,  and  considering  the  his- 
tory of  the  Regiment,  an  unfair  and  unjust  one.  Had  there  been  no  such 
consolidation  there  would  have  been  many  vacancies  in  the  grade  of  1st 
Lieut.,  enabling  the  said  Leverett  Bradley,  Jr.,  to  be  mustered. 

Thirty  years  have  passed  since  the  Regiment  was  discharged,  and  I  may 
be  said  to  be  somewhat  sobered  by  age.  But  I  deliberately  place  on  record 

[60] 


my  profound  and  settled  conviction  that  a  grievous  and  cruel  and  useless 
order  was  issued  when  I  was  commanded  to  consolidate  my  12  companies 
into  4  companies.  But  whether  this  is  true  or  not,  I  know  that  the  consol- 
idation deprived  Lieut.  Bradley  of  the  right  and  privilege  of  muster  into 
the  IT.  S.  service  under  the  commission  given  by  the  Governor  of  Mass., — 
a  commission  which  the  said  Lieut.  Bradley  won  by  honorable  and  efficient 
service.  He  was  a  true  and  good  soldier,  faithful,  obedient,  intelligent  and 
brave,  and  deserves  such  consideration  at  the  hands  of  those  who  can  grant 
it  as  shall  place  his  name  among  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  1st 
Mass.  H.  A.  NATHANIAL  SHATSWELL. 

September,  1895. 

IST  SERGT'S  OFFICE. 
Co.  B  IST  MASS.  H.  A.,  FORT  BUNKER  HILL,  D.  C., 

Aug.  6,  1865. 
Dear  Friends: 

Your  last  found  me  in  tolerable  good  health.  I  am  now  fairly  at  work 
in  my  new  duties.  I  assure  you  it  is  a  different  thing  to  have  two  strange 
companies,  old  soldiers  at  that,  with  the  old  Company  to  handle,  from  what 
it  was  before.  I  contend  that  the  1st  Sergt's  position  at  present  in  the  four 
companies  is  the  hardest  position  in  the  Regt. ;  but  so  far  I  am  doing  finely. 
Four  years  ago  yesterday,  I  left  the  old  parental  roof  for  the  first  time,  for 
a  commencement  in  life.  At  other  times  people  might  say  I  chose  a  very 
dangerous  life;  but  a  desire  to  be  a  soldier  had  got  possession  of  me  and  I 
actually  believe  if  I  had  not  been  allowed  to  come  at  that  time  I  should  have 
come  on  my  own  responsibility  soon  after.  How  fortunate  I  have  been  dur- 
ing these  last  four  years.  I  have  suffered  but  little  from  sickness.  The  hard- 
ships have  been  severe,  to  be  sure,  for  the  last  year;  but  life  has  been  spared. 
I  look  back  at  times  and  think  how  I  suffered  a  year  ago  from  long  marches, 
hunger,  thirst,  and  fatigue,  and  shudder  at  the  thought  of  a  repetition  of  the 
scenes. 

A  great  many  of  the  boys  have  acted  foolishly  since  pay  day  by  desert- 
ing; you  have  probably  seen  some  of  them.  A  man  must  be  crazy  that 
would  act  so.  I  feel  as  if  I  would  like  an  honorable  discharge  after  serving 
faithfully  almost  four  years.  I  should  like  to  know  well  what  kind  of  busi- 
ness it  \vas  you  would  like  me  to  go  into,  if  I  got  a  discharge.  Money  ma- 
king of  course?  I  should  advise  Jerry  to  give  way  and  let  George  visit 
Washington,  and  shall  urge  his  coming;  he  has  never  travelled  and  if  he 
could  possibly  be  spared  I  think  he  ought  to  take  a  short  trip  this  way.  Per- 
haps he  has  struck  higher  and  prefers  to  visit  Saratoga  or  Niagara  Falls! 
The  3rd  Regt.  has  not  been  consolidated  yet ;  they  are  waiting  the  arrival  of 
a  company  from  Richmond.  We  all  hope  the  consolidation  will  never  come 
off.  Hard  feelings  are  beginning  to  exist  between  the  two  Regts.  already. 
We  are  expecting  daily  to  lose  our  colors,  now  in  Washington,  having  the 
names  of  the  battles  we  were  in  printed  on  it,  as  the  guard  has  been  dis- 

[61] 


continued.  Some  of  their  companies  will  probably  have  the  honor  of  carry 
ing  the  Colors.  Perhaps  it  is  n't  rough,  but  we  can't  see  it  in  that  light! 
We  are  in  hopes  that  Col.  A.  will  be  sent  back  to  the  Regular  Army  and  N. 
promoted ;  then  we  would  have  our  show  at  every  thing. 

Aug.  7. 

I  wish  it  were  so  I  could  get  home  soon  and  then  all  take  a  short  trip 
to  the  beach.  We  never  went  to  but  few  places  as  a  whole  family.  I  board 
out  now ;  about  eight  of  us  draw  our  rations  and  have  a  woman  to  cook  for 
us,  and  with  a  few  bought  articles  we  live  tolerably  well.  Report  says  we 
are  going  soon  to  some  other  station.  I  can  see  no  necessity  of  staying  here, 
as  there  is  no  armament.  Love  to  all.  LEV.  BRADLEY,  JR. 

FORT  BUNKER  HILL,  D.  C.,  Aug.  11,  1865. 
Dear  Family: 

It  is  with  the  greatest  pleasure  that  I  take  my  pen  to  inform  you  of  our 
immediate  muster  out  of  service.  Although  you  will  probably  get  the  news 
from  the  papers  long  before  this  reaches  you.  Although  the  duties  will  not 
devolve  upon  me  to  make  out  the  rolls,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  all  that  I  should 
render  my  whole  assistance,  having  full  as  good  knowledge  of  Company 
affairs  as  any  person.  I  flatter  myself  that  Old  Co.  B  will  not  be  in  the  rear 
in  completing  the  rolls,  which  are  expected  back  this  evening.  And  then! 
W'on't  pen,  ink  and  paper  have  to  take  up  ?  I  feel  much  that  Col.  Shats- 
well  selected  me  as  one  to  remain,  although  at  the  time  I  felt  much  morti- 
fied. I  told  him  so  yesterday.  He  is  highly  pleased  to  find  matters  turning 
out  as  they  are.  We  shall  carry  two  sets  of  colors,  the  old  tattered  ones 
and  the  new  ones  with  sixteen  battles  inscribed  upon  its  silken  folds!  I 
shall  box  up  all  my  clothing,  books  &c.  and  try  to  get  it  along  as  company 
baggage;  but  if  not  successful  shall  forward  by  ex.  Can't  some  of  you  meet 
us  at  Boston,  when  we  first  arrive,  and  have  a  woolen  blanket  with  you  for 
me  to  take  to  Readville  in  case  I  am  unable  to  get  my  box  along;  for  I  ex- 
pect it  will  be  cooler  than  here.  Imagine  my  feelings  at  the  present  moment, 
waiting  patiently  for  the  rolls  to  come  so  as  to  begin  to  write  myself  "  out  of 
service" !  I  feel  sorry  for  those  that  have  deserted;  it  must  be  a  severe  blow 
to  know  we  are  coming  home  soon.  I  shall  do  all  I  can  in  trading,  as  an 
excellent  opportunity  offers  itself.  If  a  better  chance  offered  to  get  horses 
home  and  I  was  a  little  better  judge  of  horse  flesh  myself,  I  should,  I  think, 
try  to  trade  a  little. 

With  love  to  all,  I  remain  the  same  LEV. 

[Like  many  another,  he  was  glad  to  be  a  private  citizen  again;  but  it 
was  characteristic  of  him  that  he  turned  at  once  to  other  work,  and  took 
no  thought  of  that  which  he  had  done.  Referring  to  some  gathering  of  the 
Grand  Army,  he  writes  to  his  mother  in  1890: 

"  I  'm  a  poor  old  soldier,  but  cannot  enthuse  over  such  a  gathering  nor 
lend  my  presence  to  its  success,  except  as  a  spectator.  I  have  no  objection 

[62] 


to  old  soldiers  getting  together,  if  they  wish  to  do  so ;  but  I  do  quietly  object 
to  their  claiming  the  cessation  of  the  trade  and  the  sympathy  of  the  public. 
The  war  is  a  memory;  a  precious  one  to  some  of  us.  There  is  nothing  to 
be  gained  by  our  strutting  as  old  soldiers  before  the  youth  of  the  land. 
They  must  read  of  the  war  to  understand  it.  I  'm  afraid  I  'm  a  mugwump 
and  that  old  soldiers  will  call  me  one.  No  good  nor  high  end  is  in  view  to 
elevate  the  thoughts  and  actions  of  the  encampment.  Personal  glory  and 
advantages  to  be  won  are  too  conspicuous  in  the  whole  undertaking  to 
please  me." — ED.] 

[63] 


A  MAN'S  WORK  IN  THE  MINISTRY 

ON  returning  from  the  army  in  the  summer  of  1865  Leverett  Brad- 
ley remained  on  the  farm  a  few  months,  and  then  went  to  Boston 
and  was  employed  as  clerk  in  the  Downer  Kerosene  Oil  Works  in 
South  Boston,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  year.  It  was  while  employed 
here,  and  while  looking  around  for  a  life-work,  that  his  literary  taste  again 
asserted  itself,  and  he  began  to  take  up  the  study  of  Latin,  which  he  had 
very  much  neglected.  One  evening  he  went  into  a  prayer  meeting  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  What  he  heard  stirred  an  active  interest  in  religious  matters, 
and  he  joined  the  Phillips  Congregational  Church  in  South  Boston,  Novem- 
ber 4,  1866.  At  that  time  the  church  was  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the 
Rev.  E.  K.  Alden,  D.D.,  who  afterwards  became  Secretary  of  the  American 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  Leverett  became  very  much  interested  in  mis- 
sionary work,  and  finally  felt  himself  called,  and  decided  to  take  up  stud- 
ies. His  employers  tried  to  discourage  him,  endeavoring  to  show  him  that 
a  business  life  would  not  hinder  his  work  for  Christ;  but  he  said,  "I  may 
never  preach,  but  I  must  try  and  prepare  myself  to  do  so." 

His  father,  when  he  heard  of  Leverett's  decision,  said,  "  This  is  the  un- 
happiest  day  of  my  life."  His  mother  also  thought  it  very  unwise,  and  so  did 
his  beloved  sister  Lizzie;  but  she  saw  that  he  was  not  to  be  dissuaded,  and 
so  she  went  as  school-teacher  at  a  neighboring  school  in  order  to  help  him 
with  her  earnings,  and  the  first  year  she  gave  him  all  but  $20.  For  the  next 
two  years  she  took  a  position  in  the  Boston  public  schools,  and  taught,  away 
from  home,  until  her  health  gave  out. 

Leverett  went  home,  having  bought  a  Greek  lexicon  and  grammar  and 
a  Latin  manual,  and  began  to  study  fourteen  hours  a  day,  until  an  attack 
of  brain-fever  forced  him  to  be  more  careful.  He  often  referred  to  this  as 
his  first  lesson.  His  family  became  convinced  that  he  was  not  going  to  give 
up,  and  a  cousin  from  Dartmouth  College  coached  him  from  time  to  time. 
In  the  autumn  of  1867  he  went  to  Phillips  Academy,  Andover,  Massachu- 
setts. He  was  given  a  lesson  to  prepare  for  a  recitation  to  be  held  that  after- 
noon. Because  of  the  showing  he  made  in  this  lesson,  which  the  master  had 
thought  to  be  beyond  his  powers,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Junior  class,  and 
for  one  year  led  his  class,  giving  way  only  to  a  former  scholar  who  had  been 
absent.  As  he  was  twenty-one  among  boys  of  seventeen  and  eighteen,  he 
was  soon  a  leader. 

Leverett  fully  appreciated  that  the  expenses  which  he  was  incurring 
should  be  met  as  far  as  possible  by  his  own  efforts.  He  availed  himself  of 
every  offer,  and  was  ready  to  turn  his  hand  to  any  work.  Through  his  stu- 
dent years  he  was  given  $50  a  year  by  the  deacon  of  the  church  at  Methuen. 

[64] 


The  Downer  Oil  Company  gave  him  his  oil.  He  took  the  position  of  jan- 
itor at  Phillips  Academy,  which  brought  him  in  many  odd  jobs,  such  as 
petty  carpentering  and  setting  window-panes.  At  first  he  went  to  "com- 
mons," until  Mrs.  Tenny,  who  kept  one  of  the  best  boarding-houses,  found 
she  required  a  good  carver  and  some  one  told  her  of  Leverett  Bradley,  who 
was  capable  in  all  such  ways ;  he  carved  for  her  till  he  left  Andover.  When 
the  first  summer  vacation  came  he  went  home  to  the  hay-field;  but  he  had 
a  slight  sunstroke  and  never  afterwards  worked  on  the  farm.  The  second 
summer,  he  taught  Latin,  rhetoric,  and  composition  to  a  friend  of  his  sis- 
ter, while  she  lived  at  the  farm. 

The  happiness  in  the  home  prevailed,  where  the  love  for  each  other  was 
always  strong  and  deep.  Too  much  cannot  be  said  as  to  the  influence  that 
his  mother  and  Lizzie  continued  to  exert  in  the  formation  of  his  character. 
Lizzie  was  full  of  fun,  with  energy  and  sympathy.  When  I  told  her  once  all 
that  Leverett  had  said  of  her  spirit  and  inspiration  and  caretaking,  she 
said,  "I  just  have  had  the  heart  to  do  it;  that  's  all." 

Professor  Churchill,  of  Andover,  a  kind  friend,  advised  him  when  he 
went  to  Amherst  not  to  try  to  stand  at  the  head  of  his  class,  but  to  get  a 
broad  education  and  meet  men  of  good  social  standing  and  culture.  Lev- 
erett said,  "I  only  care  to  stand  high  to  please  my  mother;  it  counts  for  so 

much  to  her." 

AMHERST 

He  entered  Amherst  College  in  1869,  and  so  well  did  he  stand  with  the 
Faculty  that  he  was  permitted  to  be  absent  from  recitations  for  a  term  dur- 
ing Sophomore  year  in  order  to  teach  a  school  at  Brookfield,  Massachusetts. 
His  adventures  in  that  school  were  often  told  for  the  entertainment  of  his 
sons.  Three  preceding  teachers  had  been  forced  to  resign  by  the  unruly 
scholars.  Leverett  was  used  to  discipline  in  the  army,  and  was  on  his  mettle. 
There  were  saucy  girls  and  some  big  toughs  among  the  boys  to  deal  with. 
He  sent  the  tavern-keeper's  daughter  away  from  school  permanently,  which 
stirred  up  the  town  into  camps ;  then  he  felt  called  upon  to  use  the  ruler  on 
the  hand  of  one  of  the  big  boys.  The  boy  at  first  refused  to  hold  out  his 
hand;  but  he  changed  his  mind,  and  as  the  ruler  fell  he  jerked  his  hand 
away  and  made  a  dive  for  Leverett 's  knees.  Leverett  dodged  and  threw  the 
boy,  who  was  as  large  as  himself,  to  the  floor.  Not  a  scholar  stirred  from 
his  seat,  and  the  boy  surlily  returned  to  his.  After  school,  as  he  stood  by  the 
open  window,  he  heard  them  planning  a  rush  on  him.  He  took  the  precau- 
tion to  throw  on  his  overcoat,  which  had  a  cape,  without  putting  his  arms 
into  the  sleeves,  and  went  to  the  door  to  find  the  scholars  drawn  up  in  two 
lines,  for  him  to  walk  between;  but  no  one  ventured  on  the  assault,  and  he 
was  able  after  that  to  confine  himself  to  teaching  till  the  term  closed. 

He  embraced  every  opportunity  to  earn  money;  at  one  time  he  tried  be- 
ing a  book-agent;  at  another,  he  made  a  short  tour  with  a  negro  minstrel 
show.  These  varied  experiences  enabled  him  to  advise  and  cheer  many  a 
young  person  in  after-life. 

[65] 


Towards  the  end  of  the  Sophomore  year  it  had  been  the  habit  of  the 
class  to  bury  with  ceremony  some  of  their  text-books.  The  Faculty  wished 
to  break  up  the  practice,  but  the  ringleaders,  with  the  energy  of  their  kind, 
went  ahead  secretly  and  got  Bradley  to  make  the  speech  at  the  burial.  He 
and  two  others  were  caught  by  the  authorities  and  were  "rusticated."  In 
this  dilemma,  his  classmate  Cecil  Haven  wrote  to  his  father  at  New  London 
that  as  he  must  go  home,  he  was  going  to  bring  another  fellow  who  was  in 
the  same  scrape.  It  was  not  unnatural  that  Mr.  Haven  should  have  been 
rather  cool  in  his  reception;  but  this  visit  proved  to  be  the  beginning  of  a 
lasting  friendship.  Mr.  Haven  was  so  pleased  with  Leverett  that  he  sent 
him  back  (when  the  Faculty  relented)  to  Amherst,  lending  him  money  for 
the  rest  of  his  college  course. 

In  his  Junior  year  (1872)  he  was  captain  of  the  Amherst  crew,  and  led 
them  to  victory  against  Harvard,  Yale,  Cornell,  and  other  colleges.  This 
was  done  simply  as  part  of  the  day's  work.  It  was  no  small  thing  that  he 
was  captain  of  the  crew  which  defeated  Harvard  and  Yale,  but  he  rarely 
referred  to  it. 

HARTFORD 

After  graduating  from  Amherst,  in  1873,  Leverett  studied  in  the  Hart- 
ford Theological  School,  and  at  the  same  time  taught  rhetoric  and  English 
composition  in  the  Young  Ladies'  Seminary,  where  he  promptly  made  a 
name  for  himself  by  his  exactions  for  careful  work.  It  is  recalled  that  a 
young  woman  handed  in  her  theme  with  assurance,  and  he  amazed  the 
class,  who  noised  it  abroad,  that  he  asked  her  to  rewrite  it.  He  also  went 
back  to  Amherst  to  train  the  students  for  their  Commencement  parts,  this 
position  being  as  successor  to  Professor  Churchill.  In  fact,  he  embraced  all 
chances  not  to  get  too  deeply  in  debt.  He  gave  public  readings,  as  he  had 
done  in  Amherst  and  in  many  other  places.  In  his  letters  at  this  time  he  re- 
veals his  ambition  to  read  and  study.  He  responded  to  the  influence  of  Hor- 
ace Bushnell's  writings,  and  was  inspired  by  Frederick  W.  Robertson's  Life 
and  Letters. 

After  he  had  been  licensed  by  the  Seminary  to  preach,  in  1875,  he  be- 
came tutor  to  the  son  of  Mrs.  Samuel  Colt  and  lived  in  her  family  for  two 
years,  reserving  hours  for  himself  for  study.  The  first  summer  vacation,  he 
.went  with  Caldwell  Colt  to  shoot  in  the  Rockies,  and  afterwards  they  con- 
tinued as  far  as  the  Pacific  coast.  He  always  dwelt  on  what  these  years 
brought  to  him, —  the  enlargement  of  view,  and  the  warm  friendships,  which 
lasted  him  through  life.  We  can  imagine  what  it  meant  to  him,  with  his  ca- 
pacity for  joyousness  and  buoyant  youthfulness  of  spirits.  He  earned 
enough  to  pay  all  his  debts,  and  then  with  his  first  spare  money  he  bought 
his  sister  her  first  black  silk  dress.  The  second  summer  was  spent  in  Canada 
and  the  provinces.  His  love  and  reverence  for  Mrs.  Colt  grew  very  strong, 
and  it  was  she  who  first  drew  his  attention  to  the  Episcopal  Church,  which 
led  in  due  time  to  his  application  for  deacon's  orders. 

[66] 


BOSTON 

In  May,  1877,  he  sailed  for  Europe  with  Mr.  Colt,  who  was  now  of  age, 
and  on  his  return  voyage  he  met  Phillips  Brooks.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  Mr. 
Bradley 's  keen  interest  in  finding  him  among  the  passengers.  Through 
some  friends,  he  easily  became  introduced  to  him,  and  before  long  asked 
him  a  simple  question  about  the  church,  such  an  insignificant  one  that  Mr. 
Brooks  replied,  "  Oh,  I  think  Dr.  T.  can  tell  you  better  than  I,"  and  turned 
him  off,  very  courteously,  to  some  other  clergyman.  A  week  passed  and  he 
came  in  contact  with  him  again,  and  had  a  long  talk.  Referring  to  it  several 
years  afterwards,  Mr.  Brooks  said  to  me,  "  The  vestry  had  been  urging  me 
to  have  an  assistant,  but  I  did  n't  want  one.  I  liked  to  read  the  service  my- 
self, and  besides,  I  wondered  what  I  could  do  with  him.  But  when  I  met 
Bradley  I  did  want  him;  he  seemed  like  a  man  who  would  do  something 
when  I  did  not  need  him,  and  I  asked  him  to  let  me  know  when  he  was  to 
be  ordained." 

Owing  to  a  blunder,  Mr.  Bradley 's  application  for  deacon's  orders  had 
been  mislaid  in  the  bishop's  office,  and  he  was  obliged  to  wait  a  second 
term.  Mr.  Brooks  decided  to  wait  for  him,  which  he  did  in  spite  of  the  pres- 
sure of  the  vestry  for  him  to  have  an  assistant  that  winter.  Leverett  passed 
the  winter  at  the  Berkeley  Theological  School  at  Middletown,  Connecticut, 
to  be  in  contact  with  Bishop  Williams,  and  was  ordained  deacon  March  17, 
1878,  and  entered  upon  work  as  assistant  at  Trinity  Church  the  following 

GARDINER 

In  August,  1879,  he  was  engaged  to  be  married,  and  at  the  same  time  an- 
nounced his  acceptance  of  a  call  to  be  rector  of  Christ  Church,  Gardiner, 
Maine.  Mr.  Brooks 's  interest  in  him  had  ripened  into  a  rare  friendship, 
which  was  worthy  of  the  lovableness  characteristic  of  them  both.  Apart 
from  the  lasting  friendship,  the  intercourse  was  of  special  benefit  at  this 
time,  because  Mr.  Bradley  had  taken  his  profession  so  much  to  heart  that 
he  often  said,  "  I  fear  if  I  had  not  met  Brooks  when  I  did  I  might  have  been 
an  over-serious,  if  not  weary,  Christian!"  With  renewed  trust  and  gratitude 
in  his  heart,  he  gave  himself  to  the  joy  of  service.  Of  his  work  in  his  first 
parish,  I  will  quote  from  the  Memorial  Address  delivered  in  Gardiner  soon 
after  his  death,  by  Mr.  Henry  Richards: 

"  September  12,  1879,  is  a  memorable  day  for  the  whole  little  city  of 
Gardiner,  for  on  that  date  Leverett  Bradley  came  to  the  old  parish  of  Christ 
Church.  I  remember  an  old  Episcopalian  from  a  neighboring  town  saying 
to  me,  in  commenting  on  the  conditions  prevailing  at  that  time, '  The  fact  is 
that  the  State  of  Maine  is  pretty  rocky  soil  for  the  Episcopal  Church,'  and 
the  state  of  our  parish  at  that  time  fully  justified  the  remark.  You  all  know 
the  pass  a  church  comes  to  when  prejudice  takes  the  place  of  principles, 
when  fellowship  gives  way  to  faction,  and  when  traditions  usurp  the  func- 
tions of  a  living  faith. 

"  Leverett  Bradley  knew  what  he  had  to  face,  better  perhaps  than  any 

[67] 


of  us  could  tell  him,  and  he  took  his  decision  simply,  manfully,  and  as  a 
matter  of  course;  we  needed  him,  and  he  came.  You  remember  it  all  as  if  it 
were  yesterday:  his  graceful,  athletic  figure,  his  simple,  manly  carriage,  his 
gracious  presence,  and  his  direct,  forceful  words.  How  he  brushed  all  the 
cobwebs  away!  He  identified  himself  with  us,  with  the  town,  and  with  all 
good  work.  In  a  very  short  time  'Elder  Bradley,'  as  he  was  affectionately 
called  along  the  street,  was  as  much  one  of  ourselves  as  if  he  had  been  born 
and  had  always  lived  here.  We  began  to  realize  that  here  was  a  man  indeed. 

"With  him  the  sense  of  brotherhood  was  a  real,  living  thing:  he  cared 
for  his  fellow  men  because  he  had  the  true  sense  of  relationship;  he  felt  the 
very  same  blood  tingling  in  his  veins,  and  recognized  them  as  the  sons  of  one 
Infinite  Father.  True  humility,  then,  brings  infinite  sympathy,  and  with 
sympathy,  the  capacity  of  learning  from  others ;  and  here  we  have  the  secret 
of  much  of  Leverett  Bradley 's  power  with  men, —  he  could  learn  something 
from  each  and  all  of  them,  and  if  he  could  learn  he  could  lead.  This  thought, 
I  am  sure,  will  recall  to  you  the  wonderful  way  in  which  he  got  hold  of  men 
—  not  in  the  church  merely,  but  on  the  street  and  in  their  lives.  He  was  a 
man's  man.  You  will  remember  his  keen  interest  in  all  we  were  saying  and 
doing  and  thinking ;  how  readily  we  told  him  our  hopes  and  our  fears.  Many 
of  you  will  have  the  inspiring  experience  of  having  your  own  little  troubles 
and  perplexities  transformed,  in  one  of  his  sermons,  from  their  individual 
coloring  and  revealed  as  a  part  of  the  common  trouble  of  mankind.  How 
such  things  went  home  to  us!  and  how  they  lifted  us  out  of  our  pettiness 
and  meannesses !  Men  came  more  and  more  —  not  because  he  asked  them 
to  come,  but  because  they  wanted  to  come  and  could  not  stay  away.  And 
they  all  took  something  away  which  bore  fruit  in  their  lives  and  which  is 
alive  in  us  yet. 

"  When  anything  was  to  be  done,  Leverett  Bradley  did  not  say, '  I  '11  see 
about  it,'  but,  'Let  's  get  at  it!'  If  the  work  commended  itself  to  him,  his 
very  assent  implied  community  of  interest  and  sharing  of  labor;  but  in  the 
end  we  usually  found  that  he  had  done  the  lion's  share  of  the  work,  and  had 
slipped  away  when  the  credit  of  the  accomplishment  was  being  divided.  He 
stood  with  us  in  our  work,  and  left  the  honor  to  those  who  cared  for  it.  This 
Library  Building,  however,  remains  as  a  monument  to  his  untiring  energy 
and  public  spirit.  Public  spirit  in  those  days  was  at  a  very  low  ebb  in  our 
little  city.  Leverett  Bradley  had  but  recently  moved  here  when  a  rather 
timid  and  tentative  movement  was  started  to  move  the  Library  into  better 
rooms.  He  was  but  little  known  then,  but  his  presence  at  one  of  the  earlier 
meetings,  his  personal  magnetism,  and  his  enthusiasm  so  worked  upon  the 
people  that  almost  before  we  knew  it  we  were  taking  hold  and  helping  him, 
working  to  bring  the  thing  to  a  successful  issue.  It  was  a  people's  move- 
ment and  it  taught  us  a  lesson, —  of  how  irresistible  is  the  power  for  good  of 
a  united  people.  I  wish  I  could  follow  him  up  and  down  the  street,  among 
those  whose  lives  were  enriched  by  his  inspiration,  or  to  homes  of  sickness 
and  sorrow,  where  he  made  the  crooked  straight  and  the  rough  places  plain 

[68] 


for  many  a  broken  heart.    The  evidence  of  them  is  still   with  us  in  the 
broader  faith  and  nobler  courage  of  many  a  life. 

"  In  lighter  vein,  too,  he  could  play  as  he  could  work.  I  shall  never  for- 
get the  little  boat  club,  which  he  started  and  carried  with  the  enthusiasm 
which  he  put  into  everything." 

It  was  during  his  life  at  Gardiner  that  the  home  circle  at  the  Bradley 
farm  was  broken.  His  father's  death  was  not  a  surprise,  but  it  brought  sor- 
row where  it  had  never  been  before.  He  realized  that  few  men  are  allowed 
to  live  to  the  age  of  thirty-four  without  having  to  see  death  in  the  family 
circle.  His  mother  and  Lizzie  clung  to  the  home,  but  he  hoped  to  persuade 
them  to  live  in  a  less  lonely  place  now  that  the  necessity  of  keeping  the  home 
for  the  brothers  was  passed;  but  while  the  question  was  in  mind,  a  year  and 
a  half  after  Captain  Bradley 's  death,  we  received  a  telegram  that  Lizzie  had 
had  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  and  arrived  to  find  her  unconscious.  She  died 
without  knowing  any  one.  Leverett's  great  sorrow  of  his  life  had  come.  He 
wrote  in  his  note-book  shortly  afterwards : 

"  The  long  self-sacrifice  is  over.  In  her  simplicity  of  spirit  she  made  each 
feel  her  interest  in  him  or  in  life.  She  was  not  ashamed  to  show  her  inter- 
est in  practical  ways.  What  she  did  for  her  brothers!  Was  it  simply  a 
kindly  interest  that  found  easy  ways  of  expression,  or  were  these  gatherings 
of  friends  the  result  of  customary  meditation  upon  the  best  ways  of  equip- 
ping her  brothers  for  life  ?  We  cannot  tell,  but  they  take  the  character  of 
the  latter.  Though  it  made  more  work  for  her,  she  kept  the  house  full  of 
delightful  friends  when  we  came  home  on  our  vacations. 

"  She  put  her  roots  into  all  soils,  and  got  nourishment  from  high  and 
low,  rich  and  poor,  learned  and  ignorant.  She  was  susceptible  to  every 
change  of  nature  and  to  every  change  of  her  surroundings.  '  Where  others 
found  discords,  she  discovered  harmonies.  She  seemed  to  be  at  home  every- 
where, for  she  found  the  best'  (Wordsworth,  'Influence  of  Nature'). 

"  She  had  her  holidays.  They  were  days  of  change,  not  of  cessation  from 
work  —  from  household  cares  to  sympathize  with  the  afflicted;  from  the 
afflicted,  to  nurse  the  sick. 

"  It  is  a  sorry  amends  that  death  allows  us  to  give  utterance  to  that  ad- 
miration which,  so  long  as  its  object  was  living,  delicacy  commanded  us  to 
suppress.  A  better  consolation  lies  in  the  thought  that,  blessed  as  it  is  to 
have  friends  on  earth,  it  is  still  more  blessed  to  have  friends  in  heaven.'" 

"So  many  worlds,  so  much  to  do, 
So  little  done,  such  things  to  be, 
How  know  I  what  had  need  of  thee, 
For  thou  wert  strong  as  thou  wert  true." 

ANDOVER 

In  the  autumn  of  1884  he  moved  to  Andover,  Massachusetts,  to  the  rec- 
tory of  Christ  Church.  The  Episcopal  church  had  been  there  for  fifty  years, 

[69] 


but  had  never  taken  much  hold  in  that  stronghold  of  Congregationalism. 
But  going  back  to  the  town  was  to  him  like  going  home.  It  was  in  Andover 
that  he  had  set  out  to  prepare  for  his  life's  work.  He  knew  all  the  professors 
"on  the  Hill,"  and  soon  was  on  friendly  terms  with  those  who  were  being 
persecuted  and  brought  to  trial  for  their  interpretation  of  the  "Andover 
Creed."  During  that  time  it  was  a  familiar  sight  to  see  several  of  the  pro- 
fessors at  the  Episcopal  church,  and  at  communion.  They  found  it  a  refuge, 
much  as  in  Rome  the  English  are  found  in  the  American  church  there  on 
Easter,  because  they  say  that  "  however  the  service  is  conducted,  it  con- 
forms to  the  rubric,"  and  they  feel  no  such  security  at  present  in  the  English 
church. 

The  church  at  Andover  was  very  out  of  date,  and  a  new  church  was  de- 
sirable. Schemes  for  raising  money  were  in  Mr.  Bradley 's  head.  He  had 
been  remarkably  successful  in  Gardiner  in  begging  money  for  the  library 
from  men  who,  having  property,  acknowledged  that  they  were  not  in  the 
habit  of  giving.  But  in  Andover  there  were  no  such  men.  Those  who  had 
money  gave  liberally  to  the  support  as  it  was,  and  had  made  an  effort  to 
raise  enough  to  put  the  rectory  in  a  sanitary  condition.  On  Decoration  Day, 
1885,  Mr.  Bradley  made  the  oration.  Mr.  Joseph  Byers,  a  former  resident 
of  Andover  then  living  in  New  York,  where  he  was  a  vestryman  of  the 
Church  of  the  Incarnation,  heard  him,  and  said  to  some  one,  "  If  that  is  the 
sort  of  man  you  have  I  think  there  is  hope  for  the  parish."  When  this  was 
repeated  to  Mr.  Bradley,  he  said,  "  I  think  I  shall  venture  to  ask  him  for 
$5,000."  He  did  so,  and  Mr.  Byers  wrote,  asking  him  to  wait,  as  he  had  a 
proposition  to  make.  In  a  few  weeks  he  came  on  and  offered  to  build  a 
memorial  church  to  his  parents. 

Mr.  Bradley  felt  that  it  was  injurious  for  a  parish  to  be  relieved  of  all 
effort  to  give  to  such  an  object  with  united  zeal.  The  parish  therefore  raised 
the  money  necessary  to  buy  the  lot  adjoining  the  old  church,  which  was  the 
suitable  spot  for  the  new  one,  and  a  member  of  the  parish  gave  the  new  or- 
gan. When  the  church  was  completed,  the  mill  girls,  members  of  the  Girls' 
Friendly  Society  which  he  had  organized,  gave  the  bell.  Before  the  church 
was  begun  the  old  church  burned  down.  This  certainly  was  a  piece  of  good 
luck  which  brought  Mr.  Bradley  a  great  deal  of  "jollying"  from  all  his  cler- 
ical brethren  —  especially  since  the  fire  was  caused  by  overheating  the 
church  in  preparation  for  the  confirmation  service  by  the  bishop,  who  was 
on  hand  to  see  the  conflagration !  In  this  way  all  the  question  of  pew  owner- 
ship was  settled  and  the  insurance  brought  enough  for  a  parish  building. 
Services  were  held  in  the  town  hall  until  the  church  was  built. 

In  January,  1887,  the  new  church  was  consecrated,  and  Phillips  Brooks 
preached  the  sermon.  The  following  December  Mr.  Bradley  accepted  a 
call  to  St.  Luke's,  Philadelphia.  In  the  parting  there  was  much  heart-rend- 
ing on  both  sides.  Many  prophesied,  "  You  will  come  back  to  us  some  day," 
and  he  cherished  the  idea  that  Andover  would  be  a  resting-place  for  his  old 
age.  So  complete  was  the  confidence  of  the  parish  in  his  judgment  that  they 

[70] 


Age,  43 


decided  to  call  the  Rev.  Frederick  Palmer  immediately.  The  new  church 
was  "free,"  and  has  flourished  ever  since.  The  Memorial  written  by  the 
rector  and  wardens  after  his  death  says,  among  other  things : 

"Although  but  three  years  and  a  half  in  the  parish,  yet  in  that  short  time 
he  had  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  entire  community  by  his  great 
warmth  of  nature,  his  genial  kindliness,  his  tender-heartedness,  his  spirit- 
uality, his  quickness  to  perceive  worth,  his  power  to  draw  out  the  best  that 
was  in  men,  his  earnestness  as  a  Christian  minister,  and  his  ability  as  a 
preacher.  Although  Mr.  Bradley  left  Andover  fifteen  years  ago  for  Phila- 
delphia, his  memory  is  warmly  cherished  in  the  parish;  and  it  is  a  source  of 
much  satisfaction  that  his  body  now  rests  in  the  shadow  of  the  beautiful 
church  into  which  he  built  so  much  of  himself,  and  which  he  loved  so 
dearly." 

Nearness  to  Boston  gave  Mr.  Bradley  opportunity  to  see  his  brother 
clergy,  and  at  the  rectory  was  a  round  of  hospitality,  where  his  capacity  for 
genuine  mirth,  as  well  as  thoughtful  discussion,  made  the  home  an  "  ideal 
one  to  visit."  He  was  capable  of  winning  the  affection  and  building  up  the 
characters  of  all  classes  and  conditions,  from  the  families  that  lived  in  the 
mill  section,  to  the  "Hill." 

PHILADELPHIA 

Old  St.  Luke's  parish  had  been  for  a  long  time  without  a  rector,  and 
had  very  much  run  down.  It  was  on  a  side  street,  and  was  the  only  down- 
town church  without  any  endowment;  but  it  offered  every  field  of  work,  and 
though  the  task  was  acknowledged  a  hard  one,  Mr.  Bradley  took  hold  to 
lift  the  load.  Unsparingly  he  gave  himself,  sensitive  and  alert  to  the  needy 
of  all  descriptions.  He  stimulated  the  congregation  to  give  liberally.  As 
always,  he  was  greatly  interested  in  missions,  and  in  two  years  he  became 
the  Dean  of  the  Southeast  Convocation.  It  was  recorded  of  him  that,  "As 
Dean,  and  as  a  member  of  other  organizations,  Mr.  Bradley  came  into  con- 
tact with  the  poor  of  Philadelphia,  and  had  by  so  much  the  stronger  interest 
in  all  the  activities  of  the  Board  of  City  Missions.  His  labors  on  the  Mis- 
sionary Committee,  and  the  large  collection  taken  every  year  at  St.  Luke's 
church,  bore  witness  to  his  earnest,  practical  sympathy.  In  warmth  of  heart 
and  mental  alertness,  in  responsiveness  and  courtesy  and  sincerity  and  mod- 
esty, he  was  among  the  first."  And  again,  "The  Italian,  Jewish,  and  Col- 
ored work  all  claimed  his  earnest  attention." 

His  was  a  nature  that  could  "  rejoice  with  those  that  rejoice,"  his  charm- 
ing gaiety  made  him  a  great  favorite  in  society,  and  he  had  too  keen  a  sense 
of  humor  to  acquire  anything  of  a  perfunctory  clerical  manner.  For  two 
seasons  he  officiated  at  morning  prayers  as  one  of  the  chaplains  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  afterwards  meeting  the  students  who  wanted  to 
talk  with  him.  One  of  the  great  pleasures  of  his  life  at  this  time  was  being 
where  he  could  hear  so  much  music,  which  fed  his  soul  as  only  those  who 
are  truly  musical  can  understand. 

[71] 


In  the  summer  of  1894  he  was  in  Europe  with  his  family,  having  been 
granted  a  five  months'  vacation.  The  kindness  of  friends,  and  presents  of 
every  variety,  from  food  for  the  voyage  to  a  handsome  sum  from  the  ladies 
of  the  parish,  are  alluded  to  in  a  letter  to  his  mother : 

"  We  ought  to  feel  that  we  have  kind  friends,  and  we  do;  but  attentions 
of  this  kind  humble  me  and  make  me  feel  unworthy.  I  cannot  help  asking 
myself  why  we  should  have  so  many  encouragements  while  many  have  to 
go  through  life  without  any  recognition.  As  to  the  parish,  I  do  feel  greatly 
set  up  by  its  spirit  and  action.  Not  so  much  for  anything  that  I  have  re- 
ceived, as  showing  that  it  is  in  a  healthy  and  responsive  frame  of  mind, 
which  argues  well  for  the  future. ' ' 

In  Paris  he  was  able  to  officiate  for  a  parishioner  who  had  very  suddenly 
lost  her  daughter.  He  was  greatly  saddened  by  her  heavy  affliction,  and 
wrote  to  his  mother: 

"  PARIS,  1894- 

"  I  take  comfort  often,  by  the  sense  of  fellowship  with  the  unnumbered 
hosts,  once  toilers  on  this  earth,  who  have  known  what  sorrow  and  grief  is. 
The  commonness  of  death  robs  it  of  its  cruelty.  In  my  field  of  work  the  aged 
seem  to  recover  and  the  young  to  '  pass  on.'  It  seems  unnatural;  but  there 
must  be  a  reason  for  God's  dealing  thus  with  His  people." 

Another  letter  shows  how  he  had  grown  since  his  boyhood,  when  he 
looked  at  old  Trinity  Church,  Boston,  which  he  would  not  enter,  as  "the 
stepping-stone  to  Rome."  Never  had  Bishop  Estburn  realized  how  it  was 
regarded  by  the  country  lad,  while  he  was  hurling  anathemas  inside  the 
austere  walls  against  the  coming  tide  of  Ritualism! 

"  PARIS,  1894. 

"  We  went  to  S.  Roch's  (Roman  Catholic).  Of  course,  it  was  an  ornate 
service,  but  infinitely  more  pleasing  and  edifying  to  me  than  the  service  at 
the  American  church  in  the  morning.  The  Roman  Catholics  are  bred  to 
ornate  services  and  observe  them  naturally.  There  is  no  saying, '  Come  and 
see  me  do  this,'  as  we  are  all  apt  to  say  by  our  spirit  and  action  when  we 
have  a  great  function  (I  use  the  we  to  include  all  Protestants).  We  are  self- 
conscious  and  critical  and  showy.  We  don't  enter  into  what  we  do  and  enjoy 
it  by  forgetting  ourselves.  Ah!  Well,  truth  is  grander  and  more-sided  than 
what  New  England  has  taught.  Life  was  intense  here  before  America  was 
discovered.  I  am  not  troubled  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church;  but  to  un- 
derstand life,  I  confess,  is  not  easy.  A  few  days  here  and  away  we  go.  What 
is  it  all  for?  Kindness,  goodness,  and  charity  are  eternal.  To  be  yoked 
with  these  is  to  know  these  years;  not  to  know  them,  and  to  have  all  else 
for  which  we  struggle  and  cry  and  grow  crazy,  is  to  be  bankrupt." 

WThile  abroad,  Mr.  Bradley,  relieved  from  active  duties,  gave  his  thought 
to  the  conditions  of  St.  Luke's  parish.  He  realized  that  "  while  we  have 
more  than  maintained  our  interest  in  and  support  of  Christian  work,  we 
have  been  gradually  diminishing  in  ability  to  maintain  ourselves.  It  may 

[72]    ' 


be  that  we  are  in  this  condition  because  the  parishioners  have  supposed  that 
a  church  which  could  do  so  much  for  others  must  have  great  material 
strength  and  vitality."  It  was  his  conviction  that  even  with  the  lessening 
material  strength,  they  had  drunk  deep  from  the  refreshing  springs  of  God's 
love;  that  many  had  found  the  secret  pathway  to  God's  hidden  treasures. 

He  had  always  raised  money  by  the  asking,  for  music,  repairs,  and  de- 
ficiencies, but  he  knew  this  sort  of  support  was  precarious.  Before  his  time 
many  of  the  wealthy  families  had  left,  so  that  he  now  determined  to  make 
the  raising  of  an  endowment  the  work  of  his  ministry,  in  order  to  perpet- 
uate the  life  of  St.  Luke's.  Difficult  as  such  an  undertaking  seemed,  his 
experience  had  taught  him  that  there  were  many  undertakings  much  more 
Herculean.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he  returned  from  his  vacation  to  find  the  at- 
mosphere of  the  diocese  surcharged  with  the  knowledge  that  a  parish  hav- 
ing half  a  million  of  money  was  ready  to  amalgamate  with  one  or  another 
of  several  churches,  if  its  rector  would  make  satisfactory  terms.  From  that 
day  a  movement  to  raise  an  endowment  would  have  brought  this  fact  clearly 
before  every  one  to  whom  an  appeal  might  be  made,  and  it  would  have  para- 
lyzed their  generosity. 

From  that  time  until  three  years  later  the  possibility  of  such  an  amalga- 
mation was  alternately  thought  of  and  dismissed,  until  the  summer  of  1897. 
He  then  went  to  camp  with  his  regiment  (being  chaplain  of  the  Third  Regi- 
ment since  1892),  and  there  contracted  typhoid  fever.  That  autumn,  after 
a  lengthy  discussion  of  the  subject  with  Bishop  Whittaker,  who  urged  upon 
Mr.  Bradley  the  fact  that  the  Church  of  the  Epiphany  was  ready  to  move 
for  consolidation  if  its  rector  might  become  the  head  of  the  new  corporation, 
Mr.  Bradley  decided  that  the  question  was  too  great  and  far-reaching  in  its 
consequences  for  him  singly  and  upon  his  own  judgment  to  either  further 
or  defeat,  and  he  suggested  that  if  the  Church  of  the  Epiphany  had  any  prop- 
osition to  make  to  the  vestry  of  St.  Luke's  it  should  do  so  at  once;  for  the 
vestry,  of  St.  Luke's  would  never  make  an  approach  to  the  vestry  of  the 
Epiphany. 

During  all  the  discussions  that  followed,  the  vestry  of  St.  Luke's  (always 
united  in  its  affections  for  their  rector)  would  not  take  one  step  further  to- 
ward consolidation  unless  Mr.  Bradley  was  not  only  willing,  but  entirely 
satisfied  that  it  should  do  so.  On  making  the  announcement  of  their  favor- 
able decision  to  the  pewholders  before  they  were  asked  to  vote,  Mr.  Bradley 
preached  a  sermon  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  had  insight  enough  to 
feel  the  offering  up  of  his  submission  to  what  he  believed  to  be  God's  will. 
His  simple  consecration  and  absence  of  sentimentality  was  in  keeping  with 
his  habit  of  doing  the  duty  of  the  hour  when  it  was  revealed  to  him.  Among 
other  things  he  said: 

"  Happy  indeed  is  the  rector  who  has  received  from  his  vestry  the  kind- 
ness and  loyal  support  that  I  have  had.  Familiar  with  the  history  of  the  re- 
sources, the  frequent  struggles  to  maintain  freedom  from  indebtedness,  and 
realizing  as  business  men  the  lasting  benefits  that  should  follow  an  accept- 

[73] 


ance  of  the  proposition,  the  vestry  put  no  pressure  upon  your  rector  to 'ac- 
cept the  terms ;  but  rather  promised  a  continuance  of  the  support  in  the  work 
we  have  been  doing  together  through  so  many  years.  My  duty  to  you  and 
the  vestry  and  the  future  of  this  parish  emerged  into  sight,  and  I  accepted 
that  duty  with  such  cheerfulness  as  I  could  command,  and  pledged  myself 
as  ready  to  join  with  the  vestry  in  advancing  the  coalition.  I  can  leave  you 
to  imagine  my  own  emotions.  Some  clergymen  are  called  to  go  up  higher. 
They  consider  the  call  the  voice  of  God,  and  obey.  Your  rector  has  been 
called  to  step  down  from  a  charge  which  has  been  the  joy  of  his  life. 
That  call  to  him  is  the  voice  of  God,  and  he  is  willing  to  obey. 

"  God  seems  to  be  leading  us  in  a  way  we  would  avoid.  There  are  all 
kinds  of  successes.  Perhaps  this  seeming  failure  may  be  nearer  God's  idea 
of  success  than  we  think.  It  is  my  conviction  that  by  this  time  we  should 
have  had  a  sufficient  endowment  had  not  circumstances  opposed  our  moving 
vigorously  in  the  matter.  I  seem  to  see  the  hand  of  God,  who  may  be  pur- 
posing to  engage  us  in  larger  and  broader  activities.  Having  trained  our 
spirits  to  loyalty  and  love,  He  may  now  give  us  the  material  resources  to 
make  glad  the  hearts  of  many  yet  unborn.  .  .  .  Money  cannot  make  a  suc- 
cessful church,  but  it  can  furnish  the  basis  for  vast  undertakings  in  the  name 
of  Christ.  Do  not  suffer  your  possessions  to  check  your  activities  for  good." 

In  the  same  sermon,  giving  a  history  of  the  movement,  he  says : 

"A  year  ago  the  rector  of  the  Epiphany  offered  to  resign.  His  vestry  de- 
clined to  allow  him  to  withdraw.  I  emphasize  this  act  of  his ;  for  his  prop- 
osition was  in  every  way  magnanimous,  and  it  frees  him  from  self-seeking." 

Mr.  Bradley  was  beset  by  a  great  many  pewholders,  saying  they  could 
not  give  him  up  as  their  pastor,  and  he  was  able  to  assure  them  that  it  was 
provided  that  he  should  minister  to  any  of  his  old  parish  on  his  return  from 
Europe,  and  preach  part  of  the  time.  He  succeeded  in  persuading  many 
who  were  going  away  to  remain  and  give  the  new  consolidation  a  trial.  A 
letter  to  his  mother  at  this  date  shows  the  effort  it  cost  him  to  make  the  great 
sacrifice.  In  it  he  says: 

"  I  did  not  go  into  the  ministry  for  money,  but  for  work,  and  it  cuts  me 
to  the  quick  to  give  up  responsibility  by  the  meeting  of  which  I  get  my 
growth.  If  I  did  not  realize  deeply  that  the  good  Lord  has  led  me  thus  far 
in  ways  that  I  knew  not  of,  I  should  find  it  difficult  to  trust  myself  in  taking 
this  step.  It  will,  we  hope,  be  for  the  good  of  so  many  interests  I  am  con- 
strained to  listen  to  the  opinion  of  others." 

In  March,  1898,  the  agreement  was  signed,  and  the  following  notice 
given  to  the  papers: 

"  The  Church  of  the  Epiphany  is  at  last  to  find  a  home,  by  the  consoli- 
dation of  that  parish  with  St.  Luke's,  the  new  corporation 'to  be  known  as 
'The  Church  of  St.  Luke's  and  the  Epiphany.'  Dr.  Tidball,  rector  of  the 
Epiphany,  is  to  be  rector  of  the  new  parish.  Rev.  Leverett  Bradley,  rector 
of  St.  Luke's,  is  to  be  associate  rector,  both  which  positions  are  life  tenures. 
It  is  understood  that  these  two  gentlemen  will  enjoy  equal  rights  and  honors 

[74] 


in  spiritual  capacity.  They  will  alternate  as  preachers.  Upon  the  assump- 
tion of  the  new  rectorship  by  Dr.  Tidball,  l^tr.  Bradley  will  take  a  vacation. 
The  vestry  of  St.  Luke's,  in  order  to  show  their  regard  for  their  rector,  in- 
sisted that  this  vacation  be  prolonged  by  a  year,  so  that  Mr.  Bradley  will  be 
absent  from  the  parish  until  October,  1899.  It  is  understood  that  at  the  end 
of  three  years,  if  Mr. 'Bradley  so  desires,  he  shall  have  the  right  of  retiring 
as  emeritus,  with  salary.  During  ten  years  his  relations  with  the  parish  and 
vestry  have  been  most  happy,  and  the  vestry  would  never  have  asked  Mr. 
Bradley  to  make  the  sacrifice  of  giving  up  the  leadership.  He  has  shown 
himself  a  missionary  of  the  generous  and  unselfish  kind  in  allowing  the  prop- 
osition from  the  vestry  of  the  Epiphany:  that  they  should  bring  their  fund 
of  $575,000,  resulting  from  the  sale  of  their  church,  and  amalgamate  with 
St.  Luke's,  if  their  rector  could  be  the  head  rector." 

When  the  Spanish  War  broke  out  he  would  have  gone  with  his  regiment 
if  he  had  not  been  convinced  that  his  health  was  not  equal  to  it  and  that 
there  was  every  reason  to  know  that  he  would  be  a  burden  on  its  hands.  He 
was  strongly  advised  to  go  to  Aix-les-Bains,  and  sailed  for  London  with  his 
family  at  the  time  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  in  hiding  on  the  high  seas.  A 
summer  in  Switzerland  arid  a  winter  in  Egypt  and  Palestine,  followed  by  a 
summer  in  Europe,  gave  him  the  needed  refreshment,  and  he  recovered  his 
health  and  returned  to  his  new  position  as  associate  rector  in  the  fall  of  1899. 
At  this  time  he  resumed  all  his  offices,  which  had  been  held  for  him;  i.e., 
chaplain  of  the  Third  Regiment,  Dean  of  the  Southeast  Convocation,  presi- 
dent of  the  Clericus  Club,  and  a  position  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
Episcopal  Hospital.  He  was  now  able  to  go  about  the  diocese  and  preach, 
and  this  he  was  incessantly  called  on  to  do.  He  also  found  that  he  was 
called  upon  for  ministrations  to  young  and  old.  So  much  was  this  the  case 
that  when  the  date  came  when  he  might  retire  as  rector  emeritus,  in  May, 
1901,  under  the  agreement,  he  felt  that  it  was  for  the  good  of  the  parish  for 
him  to  stay.  He  had  taken  the  Bible  class  at  the  Deaconess  House,  tem- 
porarily; but  he  was  so  successful  and  so  interested  that  he  yielded  to  re- 
quests to  continue  it. 

As  the  coal  strike  had  reached  a  perilous  height,  in  the  autumn  of  1902 
the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  called  out  the  militia.  When  Mr.  Bradley 
read  the  morning  paper  with  the  announcement  that  "  men  were  to  report 
to  their  armories"  he  rose  to  the  call,  but  without  enthusiasm,  saying,  "  How 
different  this  kind  of  thing  is  from  going  to  a  real  war,  for  the  Union !  I  don't 
like  this  mob-fighting.  However,  I  am  wanted,  and  I  shall  hope  to  help  the 
men,  who  are  grumbling  about  going."  While  at  camp  he  had  an  attack  of 
gout,  which  left  him  in  a  very  run-down  condition  on  his  return  to  Phila- 
delphia. He  did  not  leave  the  post,  however,  until  the  regiment  was  about 
to  disband,  and  the  crisis  had  passed.  He  was  constantly  troubled  with  se- 
vere headache  and  great  weariness,  so  that  he  had  to  make  an  effort  to  ful- 
fil his  duties.  He  had  been  impressed  at  camp  by  a  collier's  wife  speaking 
of  him  openly  as  "  that  old  man,"  who  " ought  to  have  a  bed."  While  suf- 

[7.5] 


fering  thus,  his  sweetness  and  patience  were  the  simple  fulfilling  of  his 
growth  and  habit ;  he  felt  that  a  corner  in  life  had  come,  and  that  the  Lord 
was  now  calling  on  him  for  patience.  But  he  did  not  fail  to  respond  to  the 
happiness  and  young  life  revealed  in  his  children's  letters,  and  to  the  activ- 
ities of  others. 

On  the  sixth  of  November,  1902,  the  vestry  notified  Mr.  Bradley  that 
Dr.  Tidball  had  expressed  his  wish  to  resign,  and  therefore  it  now  became 
the  duty  of  Mr.  Bradley  to  decide  whether  he  would  take  the  rectorship  of 
the  parish.  The  decision  he  came  to  can  better  be  told  in  his  own  words,  in 
a  letter  to  his  dear  friend  Mrs.  Colt: 

"  1228  SPRUCE  STREET,  December  7,  1902. 
"My  dear  Mrs.  Colt: 

"  Matters  have  reached  a  crisis  in  our  consolidated  parish.  The  rector 
made  known  to  the  vestry  his  wish  to  resign,  and  I  was  notified  that  I  had 
thirty  days  in  which  to  decide  whether  to  become  rector  and  take  the  parish, 
or  rector  emeritus  with  a  salary  for  life.  Before  determining  my  duty,  I  sub- 
mitted myself  to  physicians  and  surgeons  for  a  thorough  physical  examina- 
tion. To  my  regret,  they  advised  me  not  to  take  the  extra  and  possibly  wor- 
rying work  of  a  parish  not  yet  welded  into  unity.  I  am  as  well  as  usual ;  but 
they  discover  signs  of  weakness  in  my  arterial  circulation  which  might  be- 
come serious  were  I  suddenly  taxed  with  a  heavy  and  perplexing  duty  and 
attempted  to  meet  it.  I  therefore  had  no  choice.  I  have  resigned  and  am 
now  rector  emeritus.  We  propose  to  stay  on  here,  where  our  friends  are 
many  and  kind.  I  shall  continue  to  preach  wherever  I  can  be  helpful  or 
useful,  and  during  the  week  shall  give  attention  to  a  large  missionary  district 
of  which  I  have  been  Dean  for  many  years.  I  already  look  forward  with 
pleasure  to  the  new  undertaking.  Having  studied  and  preached  for  many 
years  to  meet  and  help  the  more  intelligent  classes,  I  now  propose  to  study 
and  help,  if  I  can,  the  submerged  classes.  The  strain  is  over,  and  I  am 
happy.  Dr.  Tidball  has  himself  resigned.  Now  we  shall  have  a  new  deal. 
A  new  rector  must  be  found.  I  am  to  be  rector  emeritus  and  Dr.  Tidball 
severs  his  connection  with  the  parish.  But  since  the  money  now  in  hand 
came  from  his  parish,  the  vestry  voted  him  a  pension,  and  were  glad  to  do 
so  because  of  the  awkward  predicament.  The  consolidation  will  eventually 
be  a  success,  and  I  shall  be  more  and  more  happy  as  the  days  come  and  go." 

For  ten  days  after  his  resignation  was  announced  he  was  full  of  his  usual 
vigor,  and  planning  much  missionary  work.  On  December  10  he  had  an 
attack  of  gout  which  he  struggled  with  bravely,  and  exerted  himself  to  get 
out  of  bed  to  go  to  a  dinner  of  the  Civil  Service  Reform  Club  on  the  twelfth, 
where  he  made  the  prayer.  He  was  in  great  pain,  but  his  spirit  kept  him 
interested  till  the  last  speech.  On  reaching  his  room,  he  went  immediately 
to  bed,  but  grew  worse,  and  in  a  few  days  it  developed  that  he  was  suffering 
from  a  mild  form  of  grip  and  pneumonia.  No  immediate  anxiety  was 
felt,  but  when  pleurisy  of  a  mild  form  followed  and  he  needed  a  nurse  at 

[76] 


night,  he  himself  became  alarmed.  This  was  three  days  before  Christmas, 
and  all  his  children  were  come  home  for  the  holidays.  He  responded  so 
quickly  to  treatment  that  on  Christmas  day  he  was  pronounced  convales- 
cent. He  was  full  of  plans  for  work,  dictated  letters,  and  gave  sympathy 
and  advice  to  his  children.  Suddenly,  on  December  31,  at  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  he  said,  "  I  am  very  sick;  I  can't  stand  this."  His  family  were 
hastily  called  about  him.  When  revived  and  urged  to  rally  he  said,  "  I  '11 
try,"  and  apologized  for  making  trouble;  then  said,  "This  is  the  end;  good- 
by." 

At  fifty-six  his  life-work  was  finished.  He  had  been  talking  the  day  be- 
fore of  the  coming  new  year,  and  of  his  hope  to  "  get  nearer  to  the  eternal 
truths."  The  final  acute  attack  was  angina  pectoris. 

His  brother  wrote,  on  receiving  the  news  of  his  death : 

"Dec.  31,  1902. 

"Leverett's  last  letters  to  me  were  full  of  that  sweet  Christian  spirit 
which  always  possessed  him.  He  recognized  that  he  had  been  through  a 
hard  siege,  and  was  glad  that  it  was  over  and  everything  seemed  to  be  set- 
tled for  the  interest  of  the  church  which  he  loved  so  well.  There  were  only 
kind  words  for  those  who  may  have  irritated  him.  In  his  very  last  letter  he 
says,  '  I  am  going  to  pitch  into  work  among  the  poor  people,  to  see  what  I 
can  do  for  them.'  Further  on  he  comes  back  to  the  subject  by  saying, '  But 
I  am  going  to  hitch  my  wagon  to  a  star,  and  try  to  touch  life  in  its  secret 
sources  in  God,  if  I  can  before  I  die. '  In  closing  the  letter  he  says,  '  But 
cheer  up  yourself.  Look  at  these  pictures  (some  old  sketches  made  thirty 
years  ago).  Don't  you  remember  Jay  Peak  and  Willoughby  Pond?  Of 
course  you  do.  Life  was  freer  then.'" 

His  early  death  was  a  great  surprise  to  all,  especially  his  contempora- 
ries. Why  should  he,  one  of  the  strongest  men  they  had  known,  give  out  so 
young  ?  One  answer  given  is  that  he  had  begun  his  life  early,  and  the  ex- 
posure during  the  Civil  War  was  a  great  strain  on  his  constitution.  It  might 
be  added  as  a  second  reason  by  those  who  knew  him  best  that,  endowed  as 
he  was  with  a  temperament  and  natural  gifts  which  gave  him  a  wide  per- 
ception, joined  to  a  susceptible  organization,  he  was  often  exhausted  from 
deep  feeling  after  participating  in  the  emotions  of  others  who  leaned  on 
him,  as  he  loved  to  have  them  do.  Tender  in  appreciation  where  many  are 
callous,  he  saw  things  on  large  lines.  Musicians  cared  for  his  taste,  though 
he  never  had  any  education  in  music.  Architects,  and  artists  of  the  highest 
achievement  in  painting  and  sculpture,  sought  his  opinion,  which  he  was 
modest  in  expressing,  hardly  recognizing  himself  that  he  knew  "the  real 
thing ' '  when  he  saw  it.  He  had  a  keen  relish  and  sense  of  flavor,  and  was 
fond  of  preparing  food  for  the  sick,  to  tempt  their  appetites.  Though  it  was 
an  effort  to  do  so,  for  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life  he  confined  himself  to 
the  simplest  of  diets,  and  frequently  gave  up  smoking  for  long  periods. 

His  service  to  others  was  in  giving  himself.    He  nursed  through  attacks 

[77] 


of  delirium  tremens  men  whom  he  knew  had  hidden  from  their  friends,  and 
made  them  go  back  to  their  work  and  be  respected.  He  found  places  for 
criminals,  and  employed  them  himself,  once  putting  one  in  a  church  choir. 
Several  times  he  kept  in  his  service  both  men  and  women  who  had  stolen, 
using  judgment  according  to  their  natures.  At  one  time,  detecting  petty 
thieving  of  money  and  fearing  that  the  man  would  only  lie  and  have  to  be 
discharged,  he  immediately  gave  him,  as  additional  duty,  money  to  take 
care  of.  The  man  never  slipped  again,  and  to-day  has  a  reliable  position. 
No  words  on  the  subject  ever  passed  between  him  and  Mr.  Bradley.  He 
taught  that  while  we  must  condemn  the  sin,  we  could  at  the  same  time  show 
mercy  to  the  sinner,  and  that  the  act  of  mercy  and  love  did  not  blind  the 
world  to  the  condemnation  of  the  sin.  His  gentleness  and  mercy  could  not 
be  mistaken  for  weakness  by  any  one,  for  it  has  been  truly  said  of  him,  "  He 
had  a  hearty  fellowship  with  all  good  men  and  an  instant  readiness  to  fight 
all  bad  ones  —  that  spiritual  vision  which  revealed  God  and  duty." 

Mr.  Bradley 's  self-control  and  patience  were  marked.  Though  he  had 
a  violent  temper,  he  learned  early  to  control  it.  To  use  his  own  words,  "  I 
thought  of  my  sweet  mother,  and  kept  still  till  I  could  pray  for  strength." 
He  gave  others  credit  for  the  generous  qualities  he  himself  had.  He  startled 
into  a  deeper  appreciation  of  the  possibility  of  their  love  many  of  the  couples 
who  came  to  him  to  be  married.  And  to  the  mourners  he  showed  that  grief 
could  free  the  soul  and  raise  it  up  to  heaven.  He  took  it  for  granted  that 
his  fellow  workers  were  as  disinterested  as  he  was,  and  was  free  from  all 
animosity  when  they  disagreed  with  his  methods. 

Singularly  unworldly,  Mr.  Bradley  was  yet  nothing  of  an  ascetic,  be- 
lieving that  all  the  beauties  and  luxuries  of  life  were  for  the  use  and  not  the 
abuse  of  man.  He  once  said,  "  I  care  so  little  for  position  and  preferment 
that  I  'm  afraid  I  must  be  exasperating  to  men  who  do,  and  I  am  constantly 
surprised  to  find  how  many  do  care. "  He  had  a  keen  sense  of  the  grotesque, 
which  enlivened  others  as  well  as  himself  when  in  a  playful  mood,  and  a  re- 
finement that  was  genuine. 

The  Rev.  S.  D.  McConnell,  in  estimating  Leverett  Bradley's  ministry, 
wrote  as  follows: 

"  Few  men  have  gone  to  render  account  of  their  ministry  better  provided 
against  that  solemn  day  than  Leverett  Bradley.  His  ministry  was  success- 
ful in  every  sense  of  that  word.  It  was  so  because  he  brought  to  it  the  equip- 
ment which  is  essential,  and  lacking  which  the  most  brilliant  professional 
career  is  a  dismal  failure.  He  brought  to  it  a  sound,  sane,  and  wholesome 
mind,  a  warm  and  sympathizing  heart,  and  a  spirit  wholely  dominated  by 
the  spirit  of  the  Master.  He  commanded  his  people's  respect  and  won  the 
love  of  all  of  them  who  were  able  to  understand  the  Christian  temper. 

"  His  opportunities  were  uncommonly  fortunate.  Coming  into  the  min- 
istry as  he  did  a  mature  man,  with  the  previous  discipline  of  college,  busi- 
ness, of  battle-field  and  campaign,  an  athlete  and  a  teacher,  he  was  already 

|[78] 


furnished  with  a  knowledge  of  men  and  things  of  which  few  men  can  boast. 
He  began  his  work,  not  under  the  shadow  but  within  the  inspiration  and 
holding  the  personal  friendship  of  Phillips  Brooks,  in  Trinity  Church,  at 
the  time  when  the  light  streaming  afar  from  that  high  beacon  was  at  its  full- 
est. That  light  shone  about  him  all  his  life.  Going  from  there  to  Gardiner, 
Maine,  he  made  himself  quickly  not  only  the  trusted  pastor  of  his  people, 
but  also  the  first  citizen  of  the  town.  It  was  not  merely  that  he  possessed 
what  is  called  '  public  spirit,'  but  that  his  deep  sense  of  responsibility  for  all 
that  part  of  life  which  he  touched  compelled  him  to  think  and  feel  and  work 
for  the  uplift  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men. 

"  His  training  at  Gardiner  and  success  at  Andover  led  naturally  to  his 
selection  as  rector  of  the  old  and  great  parish  of  St.  Luke's,  Philadelphia. 
Following  there  a  line  of  eminent  and  brilliant  men,  he  brought  to  the  parish 
the  one  thing  more  needed  than  all  else, —  a  wise,  devout,  and  tolerant  spirit. 
Of  ecclesiastical  polemics  he  had  neither  knowledge  nor  interest.  The  one 
characteristic  mark  of  his  ministry  was  sincerity  —  no  sham,  no  pretense, 
nothing  but  the  thing  which  seemed  to  him  to  be  the  truth.  There  he  grew 
to  be  trusted  and  respected  and  loved  in  a  way  which  is  given  to  few  men. 
No  one  was  surprised  when  ati  exigency  arose  in  which  he  believed  the  great 
cause  would  be  served  by  his  self-effacement,  when  they  saw  him  efface  him- 
self without  even  being  aware  that  he  was  doing  an  heroic  thing.  His  min- 
istry was,  like  his  life,  singularly  noble  and  elevated  —  indeed,  it  was  so 
because  it  was  but  the  expression  of  his  life." 

For  six  years  Mr.  Bradley  had  been  president  of  the  Clericus  Club  in 
Philadelphia,  founded  by  Mr.  Brooks,  and  the  following  quotations  from 
the  tribute  of  members  express  the  feelings  of  the  brother  clergy  towards 
him: 

"A  man  of  culture  and  refinement,  always  dignified  and  courteous,  a 
man  of  thought  and  extensive  reading,  of  high  artistic  sense  and  apprecia- 
tion, he  was  yet  one  whose  thoughts  and  efforts  were  chiefly  directed  to  his 
fellow  men.  As  a  mere  boy  he  gave  himself,  during  the  years  which  should 
have  been  devoted  to  study,  to  the  service  of  his  country  in  the  Civil  War. 
But  when  that  period  was  over,  so  well  did  he  make  up  for  the  time  taken 
from  his  student  life  that  he  was  soon  able  to  be  a  teacher  of  others.  Enter- 
ing then  upon  the  service  of  the  sacred  ministry,  he  gave  himself  unremit- 
tingly to  that  work.  His  view  of  religion  was  of  that  kind  which  could  better 
the  present  lives  of  men,  and  it  was  his  constant  aim  and  study  to  bring  to 
bear  its  forces  so  as  to  improve  men  socially  and  politically.  He  was  one  of 
those  powers  which  make  for  righteousness  which  the  world  can  ill  afford 
to  lose." 

"  If  I  were  to  name  Leverett's  three  chief  characteristics,  I  should  say, 
faithfulness,  patience,  tenderness;  these  irradiated  by  the  golden  humor  that 
could  brighten  every  cloud."  L.  E.  R. 

[79] 


"  The  dear,  sweet  fellow  that  he  was !  Ability  there  was,  of  course,  with 
the  other  qualities  that  go  to  make  up  a  useful  man  and  minister,  and  that 
make  one  a  gentleman  away  down  to  the  bottom  of  his  soul ;  but  his  sweet 
lovableness  was  the  dominant  thing  that  will  always  come  up  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  knew  him  —  as  long  as  they  live,  and  whenever  his  name  is 
mentioned.  I  see  him  again  as  he  and  I  talked  over  things  together,  and  I 
tell  you,  Mrs.  Bradley,  I  know  men  and  ministers  well,  and  there  are  few 
men  who  would  not  have  said  things  which,  now  that  this  has  happened, 
friends  would  desire  to  forget.  But  there  is  absolutely  nothing.  No,  Bradley 
never  said  a  bitter  thing.  He  reminded  me  in  a  great  many  ways  of  Brooks, 
and  also  of  dear  old  Percy  Browne ;  he  had  the  same  sense  of  the  small  im- 
portance of  the  sayings  and  doings  of  little  people,  with  a  not  unkindly  spirit 
towards  them,  no  matter  what  they  said  and  did."  DR.  CURRIE. 

From  a  lady  of  the  parish : 

"  How  little  one  can  say  of  all  that  is  in  our  hearts.  .  .  .  His  life,  his 
memory,  is  such  a  blessed  heritage.  ...  It  was  always  like  a  broad  streak 
of  sunshine  in  my  day,  when  I  met  him.  .  .  .  There  are  hundreds  who  will 
say  the  same  thing." 

From  a  clergyman: 

"He  was  a  lovable  man,  and  abounding  in  generous  motives  and  im- 
pulses. His  life,  it  seemed  to  me,  was  spent  in  these,  and  spent  itself  in 
these,  until  it  finally  succumbed  to  the  weight  of  the  sacrifice.  Both  he  and 
others  were  the  richer  for  what  he  was  and  did,  and  it  has  been  God's  will 
to  take  him  to  his  reward  while  the  proofs  of  his  devotion  were  evident  be- 
fore all  men." 

From  a  layman: 

"  Mr.  Bradley  had  not  acquired  the  modern  art  of  self-presentation  for 
the  admiration  of  the  world,  and  one  might  know  him  long  without  hearing 
from  him  of  many  things  that  either  made  him  the  man  he  was  or  that  came 
about  because  of  the  character  of  the  man.  He  could  not  disguise  his  char- 
acter, but  he  did  not  call  attention  to  his  deeds." 

[80] 


Age,  52 


THE  LEADER* 

He  was  a  captain  born  and  bred.    In  years 

While  yet  a  boy,  he  was  a  man  in  soul; 

Led  older  men  and  held  them  in  control; 

In  danger  stood  erect,  and  quelled  their  fears. 

When  death  calls  such  a  captain,  he  but  hears 

As  't  were  a  distant  bugle  and  the  roll 

Of  far-off  drums.    We  wrong  him  if  we  toll 

The  mournful  bell.    Give  him  our  cheers,  not  tears! 

In  rush  of  battle,  rush  of  college  class, 

And  ia-4Jw  swifter  rush  of  the  contending  shell, 

And  in  life's  later,  sweeter,  sadder  wars, 

He  was  a  leader.    Is  it  then  not  well 

That  he  should  lead  before  us  to  the  stars  ? 

Stand  at  attention!    Let  his  brave  soul  pass! 


*  Written  in  memory  of  the  Reverend  Leverett  Bradley,  by  his  classmate  J.  Brainerd 
Thrall,  and  read  at  the  reunion  of  the  class  of  '73,  Amherst  College,  1903. 

[81] 


THE  PRIESTHOOD:  A  SERMON  BY 
PHILLIPS  BROOKS* 

SERMON  NO.  620 

Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from,  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath  made 
us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and 
ever.  Amen. — REV.  1:  5,  6. 

IN  this  ascription  of  praise  to  Christ,  St.  John  is  telling  the  story  of  what 
the  Savior  had  done  for  His  people,  and  one  of  the  phrases  which  he 
uses  brings  in  an  old  word  which  in  his  use  of  it  seems  for  the  first  time 
to  be  filled  with  its  completest  meaning.  He  says  that  Jesus  has  made  His 
people  priests  unto  God.  It  is  a  word — this  word  "priests"  —which  has 
haunted  all  the  religious  life  of  man.  It  is  one  whose  changing  meaning 
always  eludes  and  troubles  us.  It  is  one  which  men  have  dreaded  and  dis- 
liked as  they  have  almost  no  other  word  in  all  our  language,  and  yet  which 
they  have  clung  to  as  if  they  could  not  let  it  go.  It  is  a  word  which  recurs 
again  to-day  in  connection  with  this  service,  which  is  to  receive  these  our 
brethren  into  the  priesthood  of  any  church.  I  do  not  know  how  I  can  bet- 
ter employ  the  little  time  which  I  may  take  for  the  sermon  of  this  morning 
than  in  an  effort  to  see  what  the  essential  idea  of  priesthood  is,  as  it  lies  en- 
folded in  these  words  of  St.  John,  and  then  to  point  out  something  of  how 
we  ought  to  embody  that  idea  in  the  ministry  which  makes  the  duty  and 
privilege  and  pleasure  of  our  life. 

Christ  has  "made  us  priests."  That  is  one  of  the  ways  in  which  the 
work  of  His  redemption  is  stated.  It  seems  sometimes  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment as  if  the  work  of  Christ's  redemption  was  so  manifold  and  perfect  that 
no  one  phrase  could  entirely  describe  it,  but  it  must  be  turned  in  many  ways, 
and  reached  on  many  sides,  and  set  forth  in  a  multitude  of  various  figures ; 
and  yet  the  very  word  "  redemption"  must  include  all  that  these  various  fig- 
ures try  to  express.  Man  is  redeemed.  He  is  brought  back  to  his  true  man- 
hood. Out  of  the  exile  of  the  sin,  out  of  the  slavery  of  his  passions,  he  is 
brought  back  to  his  true  humanity  and  made  a  man  again.  The  parable  of 
the  prodigal  son,  with  the  poor  wretch  "  coming  to  himself"  and  crying  out 
for  his  father;  nay,  most  of  all,  the  human  life  of  Jesus  showing  forever  how 
the  Son  of  Man  really  is  the  Son  of  God ; — both  of  these  glow  with  this  truth : 
that  man  purified,  made  holy,  lifted  to  the  glory  of  the  spiritual  life,  made 
evidently  and  thoroughly  the  child  of  God,  is  simply  man  restored,  man 
made  what  man  was  made  to  be  at  first,  made  what  all  men  ought  to  be, 
what  it  is  within  the  possibilities  of  every  man  to  be  to-day. 

*  Delivered  June  13,  1879,  in  Trinity  Church,  Boston,  and  kindly  given  to  Leverett 
Bradley,  Jr.,  that  evening. 

[82] 


If  this  be  true,  then  it  is  clear  that  all  redeemed  men,  all  men  just  as 
soon  as  they  are  redeemed,  must  become  pictures  and  types  of  the  true 
human  nature,  which  has  been  buried  and  sunk,  often  forgotten  but  never 
lost.  A  man  is  brought  back  by  the  power  of  Christ,  and  made  himself.  It 
is  not  something  strange  and  foreign;  it  is  just  himself,  his  own  true  self, 
that  he  is  made.  He  feels  that  fact  through  all  his  life,  and  it  lies  at  the  bot- 
tom of  all  his  joy.  "  Lo,  this  is  I.  Lo,  at  last  this  is  I.  At  last  I  am  awake. 
The  fever  is  broken,  the  delirium  is  past.  Lo,  this  at  last  it  is  to  be  a  man." 
And  other  men  see  the  same  thing.  They  with  their  dim  and  clouded  con- 
sciousness look  up  and  see  in  him  the  true  interpretation  of  themselves. 
"  Yes,  that  is  what  we  ought  to  be ;  that  is  what  in  our  true  idea  we  really 
are,"  they  say.  "  Yes,  that  is  our  true  self  as  well  as  his."  This  is  the  deep 
joy  of  the  Christian's  experience:  that  he  knows  he  is  but  fulfilling  in  Christ 
the  truest  purpose  and  program  of  himself/'  And  this  is  the  power  of  his  ex- 
perience for  other  men:  that  he  utters  for  them  what  they  cannot  utter  for 
themselves,  and  declares  both  to  themselves  and  to  the  world  what  they 
\\ere  made  to  be.  He  becomes  the  declaration  of  their  own  declared  lives. 
He  holds  forth  in  their  behalf  that  which  is  hidden  in  them.  He  becomes 
their  representative.  And  now  the  fundamental,  the  essential",  idea  of  priest- 
hood is  just  this  representativeness.  The  priest  is  the  representative  man, 
the  man  who  represents,  who  holds  forth  in  the  sight  of  God,  not  the  ordi- 
nary habits,  the  familiar  outside  of  human  life,  but  its  inmost  secret,  its 
hidden  but  unlost  meaning,  its  original  purpose,  its  primary  idea.  All  vis- 
ible forms  of  priesthood  which  the  world  has  seen, —  solemn,  robed  figures 
standing  before  altars,  and  swinging  censers  out  of  which  rose  the  myste- 
rious smoke  of  incense,  and  chanting  prayers  in  behalf  of  the  multitude  who 
lay  prostrate  and  silent  far  off  in  the  outer  court, —  all  these  have  been  but 
partial  and  feeble  utterances  of  the  essential  idea  of  priesthood,  which  is 
that  the  man  who  fulfils  his  own  human  life  most  becomes  thereby  the 
representative  and  utterance  of  the  unuttered,  almost  unconscious,  spir- 
i  \  itual  lives  of  his  brethren.  And  it  is  because  the  redemption  of  Christ  is  but 
the  fulfilment  of  one  human  life,x because  the  service  of  Christ  is  but  the  at- 
tainment of  our  own  completeness,  that  it  becomes  true  that  they  who  are 
redeemed  by  Christ  and  enrolled  into  His  service  are  made  priests  unto  God 
by  Him. 

A  mountain  pierces  up  from  a  valley  into  the  sky;  it  catches  the  sunlight 
on  its  top.  Its  dark  stones  shine  and  glow  with  color.  It  is  wreathed  with 
glory;  and  the  dark  valley  looking  up  to  the  mountain  sees  what  dull  earth 
is  when  the  sun  shines  upon  it  and  it  is  blown  across  by  the  free  winds  of 
heaven.  It  learns  its  own  unused  capacities.  Down  even  in  the  dark  its 
bosom  burns  with  the  unused  capacity  of  brightness.  The  mountain  is  the 
valley's  priest.  Out  from  a  crowd  of  brutal  men  one  man  becomes  lofty, 
pure,  reverent,  truthful,  and  refined.  The  other  men  look  up  to  him,  and 
though  they  mock  and  jeer  him,  their  own  hearts  are  stirred  because  he 
shows  them  what  they  ought  to  be.  That  is  his  priesthood.  A  boy  in  a  great 

[83] 


school  of  boys  becomes  religious,  and  prayers  begin  to  shape  themselves  in 
many  careless,  worldly  little  hearts  about  him.  He  is  the  priest  of  the  school. 
In  the  empty,  frivolous  world  which  is  called  fashionable  society  a  woman 
learns  the  blessedness  of  charity,  and  she  straightway  becomes  the  priest  of 
the  women  round  her,  to  whom  she  reveals  the  glory  of  self-sacrifice.  The 
first  patriot  whose  heart  burns  with  hatred  of  the  tyrant  is  the  priest  of  all 
the  people.  Does  it  not  appear  everywhere  ?  And  when  the  greatest  of  all 
awakenings  comes,  when  Christ  the  Lord  takes  one  of  our  poor  human  lives 
into  His  hands  and  it  stands  up  upon  its  feet  and  glows  all  through  with  the 
glory  of  knowing  itself  God's  child,  and  of  being  forgiven  for  its  sins,  and  of 
loving  anew  its  brethren  in  the  Lord;  and  when  other  men,  seeing  at  first 
this  new  life  with  wonder,  as  if  it  were  a  wholly  foreign  thing,  discover  by 
and  by  through  the  deep  movements  which  he  wakens  in  their  hearts  that 
this  new  Christian  is  really  showing  them  that  he  is  uttering  that  unroused 
self  of  theirs  which  also  is  God's  child,  and  also  may  be  forgiven  for  its  sins, 
and  also  may  enter  into  new  brotherhood  with  all  its  brethren ;  —  when  all 
this  comes  to  pass,  then,  in  his  new  representativeness  uttering  what  man 
was  made  to  be  with  something  of  that  power  with  which  one  great  High 
Priest,  Jesus  Himself,  declared  it  in  His  living  the  almost  forgotten  purpose 
and  splendor  of  one  human  life,  may  not  our  Christian  lift  up  his  head  with 
humble  gratitude  and  say,  "  Glory  to  Him  who  has  made  me  a  priest  unto 
God"? 

There  is  indeed  one  step  further  that  we  ought  to  take.  This  power  of 
priesthood  is  not  a  power  of  utterance  alone ;  it  is  a  power  of  helpfulness  also. 
The  Christian  is  not  merely  the  representative  of  other  men ;  he  is  also  their 
enlightener  and  strengthener.  He  not  merely  shows  them  before  God;  he 
also  brings  the  light  of  God  to  them.  But  really  one  of  these  involves  the 
other.  It  is  a  universal  truth  that  the  highest  revelation  is  more  than  rev- 
elation; it  is  also  power.  It  not  merely  enlightens;  it  informs.  This  is  a 
truth  of  which  the  New  Testament  is  full.  Whatever  utters  man  most  fully 
helps  to  renew  man.  This  truth  appears  in  all  that  the  New  Testament  has 
to  say  about  belief  and  about  prayer;  nor  is  there  any  one  of  us  who  has 
thought  with  care  about  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  and  not  felt  that  His  very 
utterance  of  humanity  was  part  of  the  total  power  by  which  He  saved  hu- 
manity. But  it  is  everywhere  true.  Who  of  us  has  not  seen  that  the  truest 
and  purest  and  noblest  declaration  of  any  part  of  our  nature  had  a  real 
power  to  help  the  struggles  of  that  part  of  our  nature  in  other  men  who 
stood  by  and  witnessed  its  workings  in  this  their  representative  brother  ?  A 
noble  sufferer  shows  me  the  real  loftiness  of  sorrow,  and  my  sorrow  finds 
itself  consoled  by  being  elevated  (for  the  elevation  of  a  sorrow  is  its  truest 
consolation)  as  I  look  at  him.  A  noble  penitent  takes  the  ready  forgiveness 
out  of  the  hand  of  Christ,  and  I  become  penitent  and  take  my  forgiveness, 
too,  under  the  power  of  that  sight.  He  who  is  most  divinely  joyous,  he  who 
most  takes  and  utters  as  the  child  of  God  the  joy  of  this  rich  world  where 
God  has  sent  His  children,  makes  the  men  joyous  whose  capacity  of  joy 

[84] 


he  tells.  He  who  most  shows  charity  makes  men  charitable.  The  man  makes 
manhood.  The  living  is  always  life-creating.  He  who  holds  up  man's  ca- 
pacity of  holiness  before  God  brings  down  God's  power  of  holiness  to  man. 

Here  is  where  the  two  elements  of  priesthood  meet.  It  is  both  utterance 
and_power.  The  two  united  perfectly  in  Jesus.  His  utterance  of  man  had  the 
closest  connection  with  His  bringing  the  Divine  Power  to  bear  on  human 
life.  And  when  He  called  His  disciples  to  their  priesthood  He  made  them 
not  merely  the  witness  of  what  man  might  be  under  the  power  of  God,  but 
also  the  agents  through  whom  God  might  do  for  men  what  their  experience 
had  shown  that  He  could  do.  It  was  in  virtue,  surely,  of  their  own  forgive- 
ness that  He  spoke,  be  it  remembered,  not  only  to  the  apostles,  but  to  the 
whole  group  of  his  forgiven  friends,  those  deep,  mysterious  words,  "  Whose 
soever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted;  and  whose  soever  sins  ye  retain,  they 
are  retained." 

This,  then,  is  the  essential,  fundamental  idea  of  priesthood.    The  priest 
is  the  representative  of  the  deepest  idea  and  possibility  of  human  life,    A  i 
through  whom,  because  of  his  representativeness,  God  can  help  other  men      r 
to  realize  that  idea  and  attain  that  possibility.    I  beg  you  not  to  fancy  that   * 
such  a  definition  is  an  artificial  thing,  quite  apart  from  the  meaning  which 
has  belonged  to  the  venerable  name  of  priest  in  all  historic  times.    It  is  the 
real  idea  which  has  underlain  all  the  uses  of  that  word  and  given  them  their 
vitality.    This  idea  is  at  the  root  of  all  the  heathen  priesthoods.    It  was  lost 
out  of  the  Hebrew  priesthood  as  it  became  corrupt,  oppressive,  and  out  of 
sympathy  with  the  people.    Its  essence  was  restored  in  the  lives  of  the  proph- 
ets who  were  raised  up  to  do  what  the  priests  had  failed  to  do,  and  it  came 
to  its  completest  exhibition  in  the  priesthood  of  Jesus.    Only  one  other  man- 
ifestation of  it  is  yet  to  be  expected,  which  shall  come  in  the  representative 
of  humanity  and  so  the  reflector  of  divinity  to  all  the  rest.    In  that  great 
mutual  priesthood  where  the  official  and  formal  shall  be  wholly  lost  in  the 
essential,  where  deep  shall  call  to  deep  and  star  answer  to  star,  according  to 
the  ancient  figures,  where  every  man  shall  be  the  minister  to  all  the  rest,  - 
in  that  great  millenial  priesthood  all  the  priesthoods  of  our  human  history 
shall  be  completed  and  the  idea  which  has  been  at  the  heart  of  them  all  shall 
be  completely  clear. 

And  now  it  is  quite  time  for  us  to  turn  from  this  whole  study  of  what 
priestliness  is  in  general  to  see  how  it  appears  in  the  actual  ministry  which 
some  of  us  have  long  ago  been  called  to  exercise,  and  to  which  we  are  to  re- 
ceive with  cordial  welcome  those  others  of  our  brethren  to-day.  We,  too, 
in  this  late  day  after  all  the  history  of  the  priesthoods  that  have  passed — we, 
too,  have  priests  among  us;  some  of  us  are  priests  still.  The  word,  indeed, 
with  us,  as  it  is  used  in  our  Prayer-book,  has  but  a  doubtful  history.  It  is 
hard  to  tell  exactly  how  it  came  among  us,  or  just  what  is  the  official  mean- 
ing, or  just  what  connection  it  has  with  older  uses  of  the  same  word.  But 
all  those  questions  and  discussions  that  have  arisen  over  them  I  count  of 
little  value.  They  are  mostly  insignificant  as  they  are  dry.  The  important 

[85] 


thing  is  this :  that  our  religion,  our  church,  our  Prayer-book,  have  the  essen- 
tial idea  of  priesthood  in  them,  which  is  the  idea  of  representative  human 
lives  which  can  reveal  God  and  bring  His  help  to  the  mass  and  host  of  living 
men.  That  idea  is  wrapped  up  in  the  very  name  of  "priest";  and  so,  with 
all  the  abuses  through  which  the  name  has  passed, —  the  association  of 
which  still  clings  to  it, —  we  may  rejoice  that  the  old  name  is  yet  kept  and 
we  are  still  ordaining  priests  to-day. 

And  one  thing  must  be  evident  enough  wherever  the  essential  idea  of 
priesthood  is  clearly  kept:  that  however  he  who  is  peculiarly  called  a  priest 
is  set  apart  by  solemn  ceremonies  and  called  upon  to  give  his  life  to  certain 
duties,  still  all  that  Tie  does  he  does  as  a  member  of  the  larger  priesthood  of 
the  Christian  life.  He  is  simply  a  representative,  doing  in  special  ways  and 
i  times  and  places,  with  a  special  preparation  and  consecration,  those  same 
/  things  which  all  Christians  have  a  right  to  do  in  virtue  of  their  being  Chris- 
Itians.  This  we  ought  not  to  forget.  We  must  not  lose  the  larger  priesthood 
of  believers  in  the  smaller  priesthood  of  the  ministry.  This,  it  seems  to  me, 
is  just  what  our  church  makes  very  clear;  for  while  she  sets  apart  certain 
words  which  only  the  priest's  lips  must  utter  in  the  church, —  her  declara- 
tion of  absolution  and  her  most  solemn  benediction, —  yet  in  those  words 
there  is  not  one  which  any  Christian,  the  Christian  father  in  virtue  of  his 
priestly  fatherhood,  the  Christian  friend  because  of  the  priesthood  of  his 
friendship,  might  not  freely  say  to  any  other  struggling  and  needy  man. 
Does  this  destroy  the  value  of  the  separate  and  ordered  priesthood  of  the 
church  ?  Does  it  make  ordination  nothing  ?  Surely  not !  To  be  commis- 
sioned specially  and  formally  and  as  the  work  of  life  to  do  that  which  it  is 
the  highest  privilege  of  all  men  in  virtue  of  their  manhood  to  accomplish,— 
certainly  this  is  nobler  and  more  inspiring  than  to  be  set  apart  for  some  mys- 
terious occupation  wholly  outside  the  other  functions  of  humanity.  Who 
does  not  love  to  see  how  the  Great  High  Priest  our  Lord  was  always  iden- 
tifying where  He  could  His  wondrous  work  with  the  idea  of  the  great  works 
which  father  might  do  for  child,  and  brother  for  brother,  and  friend  for 
friend  ?  Herein,  in  this  essential  identity  of  what  the  consecrated  priest  does 
for  the  people  with  the  best  and  most  holy  offices  which  man  may  do  for 
man,  lies  .the  safest  security  of  the  Christian  priesthood  against  the  dangers 
of  conceit  and  fantasticalness  which  are  always  ready  to  grow  up  in  its  own 
bosom,  and  against  the  hostility  or  jealousy  or  indifference  which  are  always 
tending  to  assail  it  or  besiege  it  from  without. 

And  now  I  want  to  give  what  time  remains  to  a  description  of  what  sort 
of  character  this  conception  of  priesthood  which  I  have  been  portraying 
will  create  and  educate  in  the  priest  who  holds  it.  First  of  all,  it  will  make 
a  largeness  and  reality  of  life,  a  constant,  genuine,  pressing  desire  to  share 
as  deeply  as  possible  in  the  vitality  of  men.  The  priest  is  the  representative 
man.  He  is  a  priest,  by  this  conception,  because  he  is  notably  and  pre-emi- 
nently a  man.  He  is  a  man  first,  and  then  priest.  One  sympathizes  very 
deeply  with  the  old  feeling  that  the  priest  ought  to  be  physically  the  com- 

[86] 


pletest  and  healthiest  among  men ;  but  after  all,  the  body  is  only  an  instru- 
ment and  symbol.  The  instrument  may  be  weak,  the  symbol  may  be  im- 
perfect, but  the  mind,  the  soul,  ought  to  be  just  as  full  and  alive  as  soul  and 
mind  can  be.  A  cordial  interest  in  what  all  men  are  doing  —  not  a  profes- 
sional interest,  but  a  human  interest;  an  interest  not  necessarily  in  their 
methods,  but  in  their  cuds;  a  real  love  for  life,  so  that  no  word  of  morbid 
depreciation  of  the  beauty  and  delight  of  living  shall  ever  desecrate  the  lips ; 
such  a  familiarityjvith^alLmen's  jvays  of  thinking  as  shall  make  it  easy  jo  f 
turn  their  thoughts  to  God; — these  are  the  true  characteristics  of  the  true 
priest,  who  honors  his  priesthood  as  the  representative  life  through  which 
God  shall  be  able  to  interpret  Himself  to  man. 

I  know  well  enough  how  easily  this  may  degenerate  into  a  very  poor  and 
shallow  sort  of  thing.  I  know  how  readily  and  easily  a  familiar  good-nature 
or  a  light  good-fellowship  may  take  the  place  of  that  large  sympathy  with 
men  which  gets  to  the  roots  of  all  men's  occupations  and  shows  men  how 
they  may  be  made  divine.  I  know  how  something  even  worse  than  this  may 
come.  I  know  how  men  desiring  to  help  their  fellow  men  with  priestly  sym- 
pathy may  come  to  think  that  they  must  first  have  trodden  through  the  vices 
in  which  wicked  men  are  living,  that  they  may  be  able  to  rescue  wicked  men 
and  lift  them  out  of  vice.  Only  the  other  day  I  heard  it  said  of  one  who 
served  Christ  in  our  church  that  he  was  thought  to  be  a  special  priest  of  God 
to  men  who  were  the  slaves  of  drink  because  he  had  himself  once  been  a 
drunkard.  But  no;  there  is  a  completeness  of  life  in  tried  and  tested  inno- 
cence which  has  within  itself  the  gospel  and  the  medicine  of  every  kind  of 
sin.  Would  Jesus  have  had  a  truer  salvation  for  the  Magdalene  if  His  own 
youth  at  Nazareth  had  been  the  wretched,  impure  life  that  hosts  of  young 
men's  lives  are  ?  Men  think  sometimes  that  they  must  know  the  details  of 
all  degrees  of  wickedness  before  they  can  speak  with  sympathy  and  power 
to  wicked  men.  They  talk  of  that  which  men  call  "seeing  life"  -  whicn' 
really  is  "  seeing  death" —  as  if  it  would  fit  them  for  the  preaching  of  life  to 
other  men.  But  no !  The  young  man  listens  to  another  young  man  who  has 
been  down  into  the  depths  where  he  is  lying  and  has  struggled  up  again.  He 
listens  to  him  and  he  is  helped;  but  his  truest  help  always  comes  from  the 
man  who  he  knows  has  lived  a  large,  broad,  human  life,  and  yet  kept  pure; 
the  man  who  has  lived  in  no  cloistered  safety,  who  has  kept  the  windows  of 
his  life  wide  open,  and  yet  has  had  such  healthiness  within  that  the  miasma 
has  not  poisoned  him;  the  man  who  has  talked  with  men  of  business  and 
not  grown  sordid  or  selfish;  who  has  lived  with  men  and  women  in  society 
but  not  grown  frivolous;  who  has  studied  and  yet  been  humbled;  who  has 
thought  and  yet  kept  faith;  who  has  seen  sin  and  not  grown  cynical;  who 
has  used  this  mixed  world  freely,  and  yet  with  the  divine  prerogative  of  his 
humanity  has  made  it  yield  to  him  the  unmixed  fruit  of  holiness.  He  is  the 
true  priest,  clad  in  the  white  robes  of  an  innocence  which  has  been  through 
darkness  only  to  learn  the  secret  and  glory  of  perfect  light. 

God  forbid  that  I  should  seem  to  disparage  the  priestly  quality  of  him 

[87] 


I/I 


who,  having  sinned  and  been  forgiven,  conies  to  tell  his  brethren  of  that  par- 
don which  is  his  new  life  and  his  perpetual  joy.  That  element  of  priestliness 
must  be  in  the  priesthood  of  us  all.  But  even  more  sacred  than  the  eagerness 
with  which  (the  forgiven  sinner  tells  the  sinners  beside  him  of  the  ready 
mercy  of  the  All-Merciful  is  the  ardent  watchfulness  with  which  the  man 
in  danger  guards  his  soul,  not  merely  that  his  own  soul  may  not  be  lost,  but 
that  he  may  be  able  to  pour  into  the  ears  of  his  endangered  brethren  the 
story  of  that  helping  grace  by  which  they  too  may  be  preserved  from  sin.  To 
,  to  live  largely  and  openly  and  yet  be  innocent  of  the  evil  life,  that  is  the 
power  of  our  priesthood,  O  my  brother  priests.  Oh,  let  us  struggle  to  be 
ure.  Glorious  and  noble  privilege,  to  guard  our  purity  not  for  our  sakes, 
but  for  the  world !  As  the  lighthouse-keeper  trims  his  lamp  more  solemnly 
and  scrupulously  than  the  mere  reader  in  the  parlor  cares  for  the  candle  that 
is  only  to  shine  upon  his  book,  because  it  is  to  reach  across  the  waves  and 
draw  the  frightened  sailor  into  safety,  so  the  priest  is  pure  with  a  more  scru- 
pulous and  solemn  purity  than  he  who  guards  his  purity  only  with  a  fear 
lest  his  own  soul  be  stained  and  lost. 

Here  really  lies  the  warrant  for  the  young  minister's  ministry.  It  cer- 
tainly is  not  that  he  himself  has  known  the  devious  way  of  sorrow,  of  temp- 
tation, and  of  wretchedness  through  which  so  many  of  those  to  whom  he 
brings  the  word  of  God  are  walking.  Unless  there  be  in  the  soul's  life  with 
Christ  a  certain  enlargement  of  vitality  which  makes  it  possible  for  him  who 
lives  it  to  be  so  profoundly  and  broadly  human  that  he  can  enter  into  the 
soul  of  experiences  which  he  himself  has  never  known,  there  is  no  chance  or 
hope  of  a  true  Christian  ministry.  That  is  the  real  ground  of  the  priesthood 
which  even  in  the  youngest  men  has  often  been  so  rich  in  influence  upon 
the  oldest  and  most  world-worn 'lives.  "He  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life." 
In  the  fulness  of  his  possession  of  the  Son  the  young  priest  is  at  the  heart  of 
human  life,  and  so  may  speak  to  and  strengthen  the  heart  of  that  life  in  other 
men,  even  though  he  be  totally  ignorant  of  the  forms  in  which  it  has  taken 
shape  in  them.  Nothing  official,  nothing  that  ordination  can  do  for  a  man, 
can  create  priestliness  in  him  without  this  personal  life  in  Christ,  the  Son  of 
Man.  No  book  of  casuistry,  no  dreadful  directory  of  the  streets  and  lanes, 
the  highways  and  byways,  of  human  sin  and  folly,  no  priest  in  absolution, 
can  give  a  man  the  least  real  power  to  perform  the  priestly  office  to  the  souls 
of  other  men,  who  is  not  already  a  priest  by  the  way  in  which  he  has  found 
the  understanding  of  their  humanity  waiting  for  him  in  the  Son  of  Man,  to 
whom  his  life  is  given.  And  to  such  a  priest  as  that  many  of  such  books  will 
be  abominations,  and  almost  all  the  rest  awkward  encumbrances. 

r-^  I  think,  again,  that  such  a  conception  of  priesthood  as  we  have  been 
dwelling  on  to-day,  which  sees  in  it  not  an  artificial  but  an  essential  thing, 

\  not  a  thing  of  office  but  a  thing  of  character,  will  make  the  priest  who  holds 
it  dread  above  almost  everything  fantasticalness  and  unnecessary  mystery, 
and  crave  above  everything  intelligibleness  and  the  power  of  frank,  direct 
appeal  to  men.  The  priest  is  the  representative  man,  the  mountain  lifted 

[88] 


above  the  plain,  according  to  the  figure  that  I  used,  in  order  that  it  might 
interpret  the  plain  to  itself  and  send  to  it  the  sunlight.  The  essence  of  the 
whole  is  that  the  mountain  is  of  the  same  substance  with  the  plain.  It  is  not 
awe,  not  reverence,  not  wonder,  it  is  sympathy  and  brotherhood  that  make 
the  true  feeling  of  the  people  to  the  priest,  and  so  the  true  power  of  the  priest 
over  the  people.  Some  priests  would  make  their  priesthood  not  a  mountain, 
part  and  parcel  of  the  plain  it  grows  from,  but  a  sort  of  pagoda  built  upon 
it — a  strange,  fantastic,  foreign  sort  of  thing  which  the  people  in  the  plain 
should  marvel  at;  out  of  whose  jangling  bells  they  should  listen  for  oracles. 
We  cannot  say  too  often  to  ourselves  that  the  soul,  the  power,  the  warrant 
of  our  ministry,  is  brotherhood, —  the  brotherhood  of  our  souls  to  the  souls 
of  the  people^  of  our  faith  to  their  faith,  of  our  reason  to  their  reason. 

And  hence  it  is  true  that  the  completest  and  most  characteristic  act  of 
our  ministry  is  the  clear,  intelligible  utterance  of  truth,  with  its  spiritual  evi- 
dence; of  Christ,  with  His  spiritual  claims  to  the  great  mass  of  men  who 
need  Him  and  who  belong  to  Him.  Hence  it  is  that  preaching  is  the  char- 
acteristic function  of  the  Christian  ministry.  No  sacramental  act  done  at 
the  font  or  at  the  communion-table  is  superior  in  dignity  to  the  work  of  the 
Christian  pulpit  preaching  the  gospel  of  Christ.  We  are  successors  of  the 
preaching  apostles,  and  through  them  of  the  preaching  prophets  of  the  Old 
Testament  —  not  of  the  Old  Testament  priesthood,  not  of  the  High  Priest, 
priests,  and  Levites;  our  spiritual  affinities  are  not  with  them,  and  any  fancy 
of  a  similarity  of  form  between  our  ministry  and  theirs  is  most  artificial  and 
misleading.  The  men  whom  we  Christian  ministers  belong  with  are  the 
noble  succession  of  prophets,  the  men  of  the  people,  the  speakers  of  the 
truth  in  brotherhood,  the  rebukers  of  sin,  the  encouragers  of  holiness,  who 
came  when  the  sacrificial  priesthood  had  failed,  and  spoke  to  the  people 
with  the  strong  power  of  sympathy  and  intelligible  warning.  They  were  the 
real  spiritual  ancestors  of  the  apostles,  and  a  real  spiritual  succession  is  from 
them. 

It  is  our  place,  my  brethren  of  the  ministry,  to  protest  most  earnestly, 
whenever  we  hear  it,  against  that  disparagement  of  the  importance  of 
preaching  which  we  hear  now  and  then  from  some  who  live  and  labor  in  our 
profession  —  not  merely  because  it  promises  intellectual  enfeeblement,  but 
because  it  is  false  to  the  very  idea  of  our  Christian  priesthood.  Such  a  cry, 
which  now  and  then  becomes  a  fashion,  demands  our  earnest  and  intelligent 
rebuke.  To  preach,  above  everything  else,  to  preach,  to  tell  the  truth,  to 
bear  the  message,  to  appeal  to  the  reason  of  men  for  the  reasonableness  of 
what  we  say,  and  to  their  sympathetic  humanity  for  its  powev —  that  is  our 
great  commission.  That  must  be  the  business,  the  study  fine  very  passion 
of  our  life.  When  we  desert  that  there  is  no  hope  left  but  that  intellectual 
palsy  will  fall  upon  the  priesthood,  and  superstition  on  such  few  people  as 
will  be  left  to  wait  upon  their  ministry. 

I  need  hardly  stop  to  point  out  how  such  a  conception  of  the  priesthood 
has  a  tendency  to  guard  the  man  who  holds  it  from  fastidiousness  both  with 

[89] 


regard  to  the  people  for  whom  he  works  and  with  regard  to  the  fellow  work- 
ers by  whose  side  he  works  for  them — the  priesthood  thus  conscious  of  the 
dignity  and  inherent,  ideal,  sacredness  oTnuman  life.  It  goes  about  among 
men  with  the  true  spirit  of  the  incarnation  in  it.  It  sees  all  men  as  Jesus 
saw  them,  the  sons  of  God.  The  differences  between  Nicodemus  and  Bar- 
timeus,  between  Herod  and  Barabbas,  are  impertinent  and  insignificant. 
How  can  it  cringe  to  the  rich,  how  can  it  despise  the  poor,  when  through  the 
riches  and  the  poverty  it  sees  so  clearly  that  it  can  never  forget  it  for  a  mo- 
ment that  both  are  the  sons  of  God  ?  What  sort  of  a  jeweller  is  he  who 
looks  a  moment  at  the  chance  setting  of  two  diamonds  which  are  brought 
to  him  for  judgment  ?  And  so  about  the  fellow  workers.  If  my  ministry  at 
its  heart  is  indeed  simply  the  commission  {to  do  in  special  and  organized 
ways  that  which  all  men  in  virtue  of  their  humanity  are  bound  to  do  j  then 
what  inequality  of  any  man's  labor  in  this  common  work  shall  keep  me  from 
the  truest  sympathy  with  him,  if  I  have  the  power;  from  giving  a  touch  of 
my  hand  to  his  work  as  I  am  going  on  about  my  own  ? 

0  my  dear  friends,  when  all  men  need  to  be  saved  it  will  not  do  for  us 
to  choose  any  class  of  men  and  think  that  their  salvation  only  is  of  command- 
ing and  immediate  importance.    When  it  is  all  men's  business,  all  men's 
privilege  and  duty,  to  save  some  brothers  if  they  can,  and  they  who  know 
their  privilege  and  duty  are  so  few,  it  will  not  do  for  us.    Thank  God,  this 
good  church  of  ours  is  too  full  of  her  Master's  Spirit  to  ask  of  us  to  turn  our 
backs  on  any  man,  or  group  of  men,  who  are  trying  to  help  the  salvation 
of  the  world. 

But  the  great  glory  of  the  large  human  thought  of  the  priesthood  is  cer- 
tainly this :  that  it  insists  inexorably  that  the  true  priestly  power  must  be  in 
the  \  character  of  the  priest.  It  makes  everything  of  what  the  man  is  who 
tries  to  guide  and  help  his  fellow  men.  The  ordination  is  but  the  guinea's 
stamp.  And  oh,  the  power  which  all  the  mighty  attraction  of  holiness 
gains  when  to  its  own  intrinsic  force  is  added  this  persuasion  that  the  more 
holy  the  good  man  becomes  the  more  able  he  will  be  to  help  and  lead  these 
struggling,  stumbling  fellow  men  to  God!  Prayer  becomes  tenfold  eager 
and  intense,  watchfulness  tenfold  vigilant.  And  the  thanksgiving  of  the  re- 
generated life,  after  it  has  cried  aloud,  "  Glory  to  him  who  hath  redeemed 
us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,"  adds,  with  voice  of 
deepened  solemnity  and  joy,  as  the  crown  and  completion  of  its  thankful- 
ness, "And  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father." 

1  care  but  little  to  welcome  you  to  any  other  priesthood  than  that  which 
I  have  described.    My  brethren,  I  turn  to  you  of  whom  I  have  been  think- 
ing all  the  time.    This  day  is  yours,  the  crown  of  your  long  preparation. 
Welcome  to  the  noblest  and  most  delightful  work  that  man  can  do.    You 
ha^e  tried  it.    It  is  not  new,  but  it  goes  on  deepening. 

Value  this  day  as  the  seal  set  on  all  the  days  before.  Remember,  study 
and  intellectual  life,  sympathy  with  men,  profound  communion  with  God. 

[90] 


May  God  make  you  good,  brave,  true,  holy  men,  and  so  you  must  be  priests 
of  Him. 

[Note,  in  pencil.] 

Thank  in  eternity  Him  who  made  you  a  priest.  Not  to  an  office,  but  to 
a  life;  the  door  flies  open,  come  in  to  it.  Live;  live  by  Christ;  live  for  fellow 
men.  And  oh,  the  joy,  and  oh,  the  everlasting  service,  the  priesthood  offers ! 

Efi] 


U.  C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


CCm713737D 


46882 


M316674 


